Sead Haksabanovic’s recent Instagram post is a veritable Rubik’s Cube that Brendan Rodgers needs to solve, and fast.
The post, a black and white snapshot of Haksabanovic leaving the pitch in a Celtic jersey, accompanied by a caption that speaks volumes about his state of mind at the club, suggests that the midfielder is contemplating a departure.
And if we’re drawing parallels, Christopher Jullien and Giorgos Giakoumakis have trodden this path before him, each posting cryptic social media messages before being quickly shown the exit door under former manager Ange Postecoglou.
The question on everyone’s mind is, should Haksabanovic be the next to go?
Rodgers is known for his no-nonsense approach when it comes to maintaining harmony within the dressing room.
As he navigates the often choppy waters of football management at Celtic, the Haksabanovic episode poses a direct challenge to his leadership capabilities. Will he show consistency in his managerial style and remove the ‘disturbing element’, or will he take a more subtle approach?
Rodgers should not just react to Haksabanovic; he should react swiftly. If the player is not shipped out by the transfer deadline on Friday midnight, he should be kept out of the squad, for the sake of preserving the all-important dressing room harmony, especially after the difficult few weeks for the team.
Let’s not forget the domino effect that one dissatisfied player can have on the whole team. Teammates Hyeongyu Oh and Alexandro Bernebei didn’t just scroll past Haksabanovic’s post; they liked it. While a ‘like’ on social media is a low-level endorsement, in a professional football club’s tightly-knit community, it could be interpreted as a form of agreement or solidarity. That’s concerning.
Rodgers must also address the situation with Oh and Bernebei to ensure that everyone understands the gravity of their actions.
The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking. The onus is now on Brendan Rodgers to handle the situation with the leadership quality he is known for. We’ll soon know if the manager is truly in charge of the ship, or if it’s slowly becoming a mutinous vessel that needs steadying. Either way, actions will speak louder than Instagram posts.
Get rid
I agree