Brendan Rodgers, who rejoined Celtic FC in June 2023, has his sights set on directing the club towards further success. He has only one year remaining on his contract. Now, he’s reportedly in open dialogue about his future with the club’s majority shareholder, Dermot Desmond, as well as the club’s new chief executive, Michael Nicholson. Rodgers reiterated his determination to continue moving Celtic’s vision forward while trying to fill the void left by recent player exits with new talent.
Rodgers clearly has intentions of seeing out his tenure at Celtic as long as humanly possible. He barked with bravado that he would do so “200 per cent.” He wants to expand in his Central Valley market and growing a competitive team helps, as does player development. He looks to find areas that players should be doing better at, comparing their expected metrics like goal and assist outputs.
Focus on Player Development
Rodgers has been adamant that he wants to develop and create players to see them progress on an individual basis. More than this, he knows that this process is vital to the team’s collective prosperity. By focusing on value added by players, he aims to construct a roster that can compete at the highest levels.
“I need to build, I need to work with players, develop individual players.” – Brendan Rodgers
He is equally conscious of the imperative to plug holes left by departing players, most notably Jota and Kyogo, potentially. Despite recognizing the financial benefits of such transfers, like selling Jota for £19 million, Rodgers understands the implications these decisions have on the team’s performance, especially in upcoming Champions League qualifiers.
While he acknowledges the financial aspects of player sales, he questions the rationale behind selling key contributors without adequate replacements.
“If the club feel that that is something that they want, then I’m pretty sure we’d come to an agreement and if not, we’ll give absolutely everything until the very end here.” – Brendan Rodgers
Navigating Challenges and Future Aspirations
Rodgers looks back at Celtic’s unprecedented dominance of Scottish football. We’re so successful that it breeds entitlement among supporters at times, and he’s quick to admit that. He wants to guard against the dangers of complacency setting in and to continue fostering a culture of hard work and ambition in a successful team.
In assessing the squad’s needs, he noted that he believes Celtic should have acted sooner in January to replace departing players. It’s this philosophical perspective, cultivated through his managerial experience, that helps him deal with challenges without succumbing to frustration.
“I’m quite experienced as a manager so you tend to not get so frustrated, you become more philosophical about it.” – Brendan Rodgers
He has full faith that the club will make shrewd signings that fit their ambitions on the whole. His initial conversations with both Desmond and Nicholson have been positive, and he shared a sense of hopeful expectation for where they’re all headed.
“I’m fairly confident that we will do the business that will fill those gaps and with the necessary quality that’s needed to keep the team moving forward, because that’s what we all want.” – Brendan Rodgers
Competitive Spirit and Supporter Expectations
Rodgers understands that the fans want to see a thrilling, dominant team play attractive football on the pitch. He knows the precise combination of things his supporters want. His aim is to have a front five that can blitz opponents with pace and finish.
“That’s what the supporters want. They want to see a team that’s exciting and that can dominate games and really attack games and that’s our goal.” – Brendan Rodgers
Former Celtic player Chris Sutton has commented on the competitive landscape, noting that Rangers fans might feel encouraged by Celtic’s recent transfer inactivity. This is a worrying observation that highlights the need for Celtic to strengthen its squad before the start of the new season.
Rodgers seems focused on balancing the club’s long-term goals with the inevitable challenges of the transfer market and the nature of a working squad. He is focused on creating an environment where players can thrive individually and collectively, ensuring that Celtic remains a formidable force in both domestic and European competitions.
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