Brendan Rodgers may cater to the audience, but his Celtic team does not inspire confidence.

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Celtic may still have a chance to keep their title as Scottish Premiership champions. Despite the available evidence from the table and numerous matches, some argue that they will not be able to do so. This has seemingly annoyed Brendan Rodgers, although it doesn’t take much to irritate the Celtic manager. His consistently sour demeanor has been an interesting aspect of his second stint in Glasgow. It is worth considering why he decided to end his planned break from the game and return to Celtic last summer.

Currently, Celtic are leading Rangers by two points and six goals in the league with 11 games left to play. The weakened state of Scotland’s top division makes it difficult for Celtic’s manager, Rodgers, to count on other teams taking points away from Rangers. Under the guidance of Philippe Clement, Rangers have experienced a complete revitalization, playing with the confidence and attitude of champions. Despite this, there are two factors in Celtic’s favor: their previous victories over Rangers in the Premiership this season, and their recent success in securing league titles, unlike their rivals. However, in 2017 when Rodgers won two consecutive championships with Celtic, Rangers were trailing by 39 and 12 points. This season’s title race has motivated Rodgers to instill a “siege mentality” within his team.

To Rodgers, there is a strong negative bias against Celtic in the “narrative.” He has dismissed the idea that the club is in crisis mode. During the weekend, he mentioned that there is a specific story being circulated about his team. When a BBC journalist inquired about the statement’s meaning – a valid line of questioning – Rodgers abruptly ended the interview and patronizingly referred to the journalist as a “good girl.” This condescending interaction was met with widespread backlash. The fact that Celtic has not addressed the issue and Rodgers continues to defend his actions on Tuesday suggests that he does not believe he did anything wrong.

The awkwardness of Rodgers’ statement on Sunday captured his current struggle where things are not going well for him. It is a interesting situation for someone with his level of intelligence and experience. By contradicting himself, Rodgers had previously stated that he is not bothered by others’ opinions, yet now fans of Celtic, who are quick to criticize, are defending him. In return, Rodgers has been more showy than he was in his first term as manager. This is all just a show, disconnected from the actual sporting performance.

Celtic, as a club and team, are underwhelming. The recent release of interim financial reports revealed a surprisingly high balance of £67m, which is unlikely for a football club. The directors are expressing concern over a difficult January transfer window, as if it was managed by someone outside of the club. Celtic consistently make it difficult to sign experienced first-team players. The current situation is even more challenging as key players such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Callum McGregor, and Matt O’Riley are struggling with inconsistent performances.

The supporters of Celtic are concerned about losing the league while the fans of Rangers are confident in their chances of winning it. The fans in blue are ecstatic, but it will be quite a sight if Clement cannot lead them to victory. Celtic has suffered losses to Kilmarnock and Hearts since December. Their win against Rangers at the beginning of the year gave hope for a better future, but the team has only narrowly defeated Ross County and Hibs. They also drew with a struggling Aberdeen and lost points when Kilmarnock came to play. Only the most optimistic Celtic fans believe that they can win 11 games in a row, which may be necessary for their success. In defense of Rodgers, the Celtic team, under Ange Postecoglou, showed signs of decline long before the Australian moved to Tottenham.

Fans are singing for the removal of the board. Rodgers expressed disappointment in the lack of courage shown during the January transfer window. He also commented that the playing field at Celtic Park is below standard. While he may be frustrated that what is considered acceptable in other leagues is considered subpar in Scotland, he must consider that he manages a club with a significantly higher budget than most of their opponents.

Michael Nicholson, Celtic’s CEO, was not originally intended to hold this position. Dominic McKay, who was brought in from Scottish Rugby, only lasted a few months. Nicholson lacks the visibility and confidence to effectively oversee the club’s off-field activities. As a result, manager Brendan Rodgers asks for better recruitment, but is given hardly anything, leaving the club vulnerable to criticism from its own fans. It’s a self-made story for Celtic.

If Rodgers were to come out on top in this league, he would surely feel a sense of empowerment. In the Scottish context, with the dominance of Rangers and Celtic’s evident flaws, this would undoubtedly be his greatest accomplishment to date. In the case of Celtic falling short, Rodgers would also have leverage with his employers. In such a situation, Celtic would be in desperate need of a Postecoglou-like overhaul, which Rodgers could potentially have full authority over.

However, this relies on Rodgers being motivated to complete the task. Based on his behavior, it is uncertain if he is interested. Engaging in conflicts and pointing out negativity, which is caused by the club’s failures, is not sustainable.

Source: theguardian.com