I never imagined I would be contemplating the possibility of Brendan Rodgers making a comeback to Celtic Park. However, as we speak this evening, the air is rife with speculation about the Irishman’s potential return.
To begin with, the response to Brendan Rodgers’ exit from Celtic was not one of indifference. Celtic fans, surpassed any previous discontent we’ve witnessed in the modern era. Rodgers’ departure for Leicester incited intense online backlash, illustrating a fan base deeply pained by what they perceived as a betrayal. For my money, it was over the top, but the hurt and the anger was real.
So what’s changed?
Ange Postecoglou has burned Celtic Fans’ into their current stance.
Ange Postecoglou’s tenure, seems to have altered Celtic fans’ perspectives. They may now be viewing managers not as lifetime patrons of the club, but as transient figures who will eventually move on. They put so much stock in Ange’s vision, to see him leave well before it felt right has hardened supporters.
Has the faith in undying loyalty been fractured? Has cynicism crept into the Celtic fanbase to such an extent that they are willing to strip away the emotion typically linked with managerial appointments?
This shift could represent a critical transformation in how the fans perceive the club’s leadership. Yes, we might sing your name when you’re handing out a beating to our greatest rivals, but in the back of our mind, we know you’ll give all this up for a shot at England one day.
Fear.
The crux of the issue, I believe, is a deep-seated fear among Celtic fans about the potential loss of the club’s dominance in Scottish football.
In an attempt to maintain status quo, they yearn for a sense of certainty, a tried and tested figure. Rodgers, having proved his capabilities during his previous tenure, offers this reassurance.
High-risk candidates like Enzo Maresca are thus disregarded as too risky, too unknown. The question then arises: Is this caution hindering the club’s growth? Is there a subconscious fear of venturing into high risk, high reward territory?
There is just no other viable option.
Given the passage of time, many fans now yearn for a competent leader, and Rodgers is seen as the right fit despite initial reservations about his abrupt departure. The fans’ ultimate desire seems to be for the club’s success, even if it means welcoming back someone who once left them high and dry and someone who they perceive to be less than genuine.
Rodgers’ first stint with Celtic was unquestionably successful, and as a pragmatist, I appreciate that. But the prospect of his return leaves me with mixed feelings. It’s a combination of indifference, disappointment, and an unpleasant sense of compromise.
As fans, are we so desperate for dominance that we’re willing to bend our beliefs and embrace an era of emotional detachment? This could be the challenging reality that the Celtic fanbase is grappling with.
We all know whoever gets the job will have the support of the fanbase. But does a Rodgers appointment speak to the wider issue of why we can’t excel past their domestic success?
We know what we’re going to get with Brendan. Domestically, untouchable. In Europe he was found badly wanting. Are we ok with appointing the Irishman as long as he beats Rangers? That should not be the benchmark, we have to aim higher.
Like every managerial appointment if the 21st century, it’s all about what Dermot Desmond thinks. Celtic fans bending to his thinking so quickly is something I didn’t see coming.
