On paper, Celtic’s season looks strong. They sit nine points clear of Rangers in the league, have a League Cup semi-final ahead, and earned a steady Europa League point against Red Star Belgrade. But look a little closer and things don’t feel nearly as comfortable.
Performances have been inconsistent, supporters are uneasy, and Brendan Rodgers’ future remains under constant debate. Former Ireland striker Kevin Doyle believes the Celtic manager could be nearing the end of his time in Glasgow, pointing to his open frustration with the summer’s transfer chaos.
“At the moment, just listening to Brendan Rodgers in his press conferences and hearing him talk about summer signings, what he didn’t get, what he wanted, or reading between the lines, it doesn’t look particularly rosy there,” Doyle told Boyle Sports. “Going back two or three weeks and listening to him talk, it feels like it’s very close to the end.”
Rodgers has been clear since his return: dominate in Scotland and push Celtic further in Europe. Last season’s narrow Champions League knockout defeat to Bayern Munich seemed like the start of real progress. Instead, the board stalled, Rodgers was left short for the qualifiers, and Celtic were knocked out before the league phase. The Europa League provides a lifeline, but the chance to build momentum was lost.
Meanwhile, supporter unrest is impossible to ignore. Protests against the board have been a recurring theme, with fan groups and fan media, including Celtsarehere, calling for change at the top. The frustration isn’t aimed at Rodgers but at what many see as a lack of ambition from above.
For Doyle, the writing is on the wall: “He’s not going to get the opportunity to improve much more there… For Celtic, looking at it, it seems to me that Brendan Rodgers is probably coming to the end of his time there. Not necessarily due to performances, but it just looks like he feels he’s done as much as he can do.”
Rodgers’ contract runs out at the end of this season. For now, results cover the cracks, but the tension is real. Fans recognise the scenario: a manager capable of delivering success on the pitch, but one who may walk away if the board refuses to match his ambition. And truth be told, plenty would support him if he did.
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