I read Rodgers’ comments in The Daily Mail this morning in incredulity. I don’t know whether he’s been misquoted or misrepresented or if after talking about needing quality and power at the weekend somebody at the club has put him back in his box, but the mixed signals coming from this guy, or which are apparently coming from him, don’t make good reading.
Neither does McGarry’s article, because either he’s spinning us or the club’s spinning Rodgers or they’re all trying to put one over on the Celtic fans because the central thrust of what McGarry wrote is, to be quite frank, a joke.
He claims that Rodgers accepts that the club can’t do what it did the last time he was here.
What time was that, remind me? The time when our transfer policy was so second rate that he left for England for the first available offer? If we’re really gone backwards from the Mulumbu transfer window and the January one which followed it where the only player he got was one that he didn’t want then boy, we are in a whole lot of trouble.
McGarry talks in that article about how the first time Rodgers was here we brought in quite a few players from England. This is what McGarry’s piece says of that;
“Back in 2016, the Northern Irishman recruited players like Scott Sinclair, Kolo Toure and Moussa Dembele from English sides, with all bar two of his first seven summer arrivals moving north across the border.”
Right away you’ll see the problem.
Those three were the headline players brought from England. Toure didn’t cost us anything cause he was available on a free. Dembele, we signed for a cool £1 million as a cross-border development fee.
So he didn’t cost us the Earth either, and Scott Sinclair cost us £3 million possibly rising to £4.5 million … £3 million wasn’t then or now a huge sum of money. So who were the other two signings from England?
They were Dorus DeVries and Cristian Gamboa.
Are we seriously expected to believe that this was some kind of massive effort on the part of our club to push the boat out? And are we really expected to accept that we can’t sign players from south of the border even of that low quality?
Someone wants to tap this guy on the shoulder and say “Joe Hart. Cameron Carter Vickers.”
This whole thing … where is this crap coming from?
We might as well just chuck it right now if that’s what the board are telling him or if it’s the message he’s sending us, because we have given up even the pretence that we’re a serious player.
We’re run as a for-profit. The world’s first top flight for-profit football club.
Imagine getting knocked out of the League Cup, facing Champions League football matches which already make me want to hide under the bed and which some people are already booking their trauma therapy session far in advance of … and then sending the manager out with the message that we shouldn’t expect too much in the next eight days.
We are being trolled here, and that’s made my decision about giving this club any further cash this season incredibly easy. They can keep their Champions League tickets, I’ll take those games seriously when they start to, and they don’t, and they won’t.
“That is a real challenge for clubs like ourselves,” Rodgers said, in defence of this transfer window. “Coming back here, that was something I had to understand better, and why I took that time to decide. The club has to be sustainable while being successful. But it’s understanding where it is at in terms of what you can and can’t do. I’ll always work with the players the club provide me and try to develop them to be best they possibly can. That hopefully makes the club successful and allows them to move on, make money and we go again.”
Well I know somebody who’ll be going again if it doesn’t work out, and this time there’ll be no coming back.
You’ll notice he’s repeated the suicidal mantra “I’ll always work with the players the club provide me.”
You’d be advised also to pay attention to his paragraph as well;
“I think that’s why you see the strategy of (recruitment chief) Mark (Lawwell) and the guys, going to markets that were maybe untouched and the deals you can get in.”
This is exactly what I said it was in a piece earlier in the week; a horse built by committee.
This is people picking components for a computer rig without any interest in whether they can do the job or not; they are throwing a bunch of cheap parts together and telling the guy who has to build it, “There you go.” It doesn’t matter to them if those pieces fit, it doesn’t even matter to them if those pieces work particularly well or not.
The architect isn’t in charge, he’s taking what he’s given and hoping – along with the rest of us – that he can build something that stands up straight and doesn’t burn down from all the cheap wiring he’s been forced to put in.
I mean, I’ve been scratching my head for months wondering why Far Eastern signings are the priority when we’re going to lose these guys for weeks, for the Asian Cup, at a critical part in the campaign.
I wondered how the football department could possibly not be thinking about that … but the football department isn’t running this, so of course it now makes sense, because the only consideration here is “Where can we get players cheap who we can sell on later?”
No-one in the power structure cares if this leaves us scandalous unequipped for games, because that’s what they pay the “head coach” to deal with when the time comes.
The idea of using his official designation of “manager” seems ridiculous right now.
We are in big trouble here, and I don’t think the next eight days are going to bring us any respite.
Why’s he giving an interview to The Daily Mail anyway?
This isn’t about coming games; this is a media interview designed to dampen down expectations about the next week and reinforce the idea that everyone at Parkhead is behind this policy.
And you know something? My expectations are now officially at rock bottom.
I’m not even hoping anymore that it turns out right.
Lawwell is back in charge, and we’re off to the casino again, and one of the problems this club has consistently had is that idea that all we’re really doing is gambling with pennies anyway.
But these people are gambling with Champions League qualification, gambling with the dreams and ambitions of this support, gambling with the standing of this club as one which allegedly sees itself as a European giant, and be afraid because these people are utterly incapable of coping if we get into crisis and you saw it with Lennon.
According to The Sun, Hatate has turned down a new deal, which is just what we needed on top of everything else .. so instead of securing the players we need to progress, brace yourselves because it might be about to get worse.
I don’t know what the manager is doing back here in the midst of this.
The only reason most of us were willing to accept Rodgers as boss in the first place after the last time is the presumption – terrible word and how we have been so daft? – that he wouldn’t have come back without serious assurances and total control.
He doesn’t sound right now as if he’s even interested, his whole demenour, his tone, everything about him is passive and accepting … he sounds like a guy who’s lost his shirt and wearily accepts it.
The lights are on, but no-one’s home.
(That’s also a wee in-joke about our absentee landlord, obviously such a good one that I have to explain it.)
It’s now obvious though that we are not in the midst of a serious effort to grow this club.
We gave up on that the minute Ange Postecoglou walked out the door, and having given that guy full control (and all we got for it were two automatic Group Stages places and five trophies out of six, so you can see why that caused a problem, right?) they weren’t about to make the same mistake again … and Rodgers went along with that.
Jesus God … we should be riding high and this is where we are.
I told you months ago Lawwell was back in charge and you dismissed it. Why do us fans bother paying our hard earned, watch us get pumped in Europe for them to hoard it in the bank
To nailed it when yi says Pedro the Hun is back on charge.
The ONLY thing a for profit organisation will listen to is the cash register and as long as we keep buying season tickets they don’t care.
But, the champions League tickets still need to be bought, and ah seriously hope that if we are in as bad a shape as it’s looking like we’re gonna be in, that there is an organised boycott of them. Empty seats and with it empty tills are the only thing that’s gonna make an impression, so please don’t feel me the – aye, but al always support the team, cos there comes a point when that attitude makes yi just a part of the problem.
HH
The best made plans of mice and men. The curse of Celtic has always been the management. Parsimonious, lacking vision, penny pinching. It is the football equivalence of Nu Labour’s “They have nowhere else to go”. I said yesterday I can see Rodgers being gone in 6 months. I am now revising that to 3.
Getting humped in the Champions League won’t do his CV any favours (much less losing to Killie) so why stick around?
I watched a certain vampire packed team last night. They have a 50-50 chance of progressing. If it were us, we’ld be out by now.
Oh dear no more recruitment of players then,we better get the Sudocrem for our arse and a MASSIVE tub of it because we are getting some SEVERE SCUDDINGS in the champions league when it arrives,I’m talking about 5, 6 and 7 score lines home and away.
Oh and don’t shoot the messenger.
I think I’ve already posted here about my dark theory on this… he wouldn’t be the first manager to resign after a relatively short period at the helm claiming promises on player signings and/or transfer budgets have been broken – Julien Loperegui did it a couple of weeks ago, with Gary O’Neill taking on a remake of Mission Impossible 2 (without Thandie Newton to brighten the place up)…. if you were gaming out the harshest, coldest revenge BR could take on Lawwell Sr, walking out after the window has closed claiming promises were broken and leaving us to face the Champions League and a Sevco team that could click into gear soon with Broony or Lennon or Strachan in the dugout and a threadbare starting XI bolstered only with a clutch of optimistic project signings, I think that just about ticks every box.
Surely he wouldn’t, would he?!
LAWWELL……fukn lawwell…..arrogant, self serving bastard……..and rodgers is an ABSOLUTE DISGRACE if he accepts this……
Agree Murdy
A great insight as to the current state of our club The article touches on many home truths With Peter ie the Scrooge in charge do we really expect anything different I fear for the rest of the season where we will be shown up in Europe The Green Brigade were maybe right in their fears of having this manager back after what he done last time There are players out there who we could sign Now but it doesn’t look likely we will the money put into this club by it’s faithful fans has been incredible so Celtic show some respect and make us the team to fear
Lawwell strolls back in the door at the top table and it looks like we’re unravellin big time from where we were just 3 months ago. Somehow think we knew this was comin, tho obviously not as quick as it has. Didnae take long did it ?! Wouldnae claim tae be one of the support who wanted BR back, tho obviously want tae see him succeed for the team and now looks and sounds like once again, he’s no goin tae be given the back up he needs. And if disgracefully, next tae nothin is bein spent on the team, where’s all the money goin ?
It’s baffling to say the least, God knows what the hell is going on
So, we’re now supposed to believe that Brendan was told PRIOR to taking the job; that he would be very financially constrained and that he would only be able to work with prospect players ‘ that he was given’ , who would later yield a profit?
Almost the exact reason he left last time !?
I don’t believe that for one second.
What happened to HIS requirement for Power and Quality? Or the clear inference that his return was to mainly improve European performances?
If your assessment is correct James, I suspect Uncle Brendan will remain polite and compliant on the surface, but will be feverishly planning his exit urgently; behind the scenes.
Spot on James. As soon as I knew Lawwell was back in the building I could see this coming. Ange was his own man and the board were afraid to cross him but they appear to have Rodgers in their back pockets. We need to start the protests against the board immediately. I despise Desmond, Lawwell, Nicholson et al. Our club will never be safe until they’re all gone. None of them have the club’s interests at heart.
Your point about missing European games is well made and if the club is not taking those games seriously then neither should fans . A boycott of the biggest game of group would achieve a rethink I believe but we have really become Lawwell FC which none of us signed up for
Great article again,James,you’re on a roll,bud.
They sneaked that corpulent parasitic bastard in under the cloak of the world Cup when there were no games for us to protest his appointment.
What happened to the £20m-£30m the Rodgers was promised for players PLUS any profits generated on outgoing players ?
I only agreed with this rat coming back from England because l was under the impression he had been given cast iron assurances that Lawwell would be kept locked out of any monetary and team building matters.
Big mistake !
It can’t just be a boycott of the top game in the champions league group because we have to buy the package of three group games.
Then,so be it,ram the fuckin lot of them and while they are at it forget about us buying any Scottish Cup briefs as well.
They have already, quite kindly taken the decision of whether to buy league cup tickets out of our hands with Sunday’s clusterfuck.
I am absolutely sick to the pit of my stomach with these bastards running our club for their own benefit.
I will gladly piss on every one of their graves and hopefully l won’t have too long to wait.
I detest these leeches with a vengeance !
The only thing they understand is money.
BOYCOTT NOW !!!
Frightening stuff alright, James.
I had a very bad feeling about the reasons the big Aussie might be leaving us and ro my great chagrin it turns out they were correct and that the two Lawwells, perish the thought, are back to playing Moneyball with our club purely for their own profiteering.
And still none of it makes any sense.
Why would they repeatedly be allowed to scuttle us like this, to make monkeys out of us like this?
It’s deeply disturbing and I’m just baffled as to why the fans let them away with it.
Whilst I’m simply NEVER one to be taking heed of anything that The Scottish ‘Media’ say, I’ve enough of a mind of my own to see the tragic situation unfolding at Parkhead…
We have had and still just about have a glorious chance to leave Sevco way behind in the sunset of the rear view mirror – but no – DD and Pathetic Peter say they’re relevant to this damned ‘model’ and protected they will be –
We now have a bloated global dressing room of lightweights, communication issues, and ‘projects’ – yep those fcukin projects…
Just how much have Celtic wasted on these rancid projects over the years – Lawwell gambling and playing poker at which he is piss poor at anyway…
All it’ll take now is for Sevco to sign Shankland or Boyle who will score for fun for them (or us if we’d buy them) but if Sevco do it we are Donald Ducked – And fcuked for years at that…
Us leaving sevco way behind will never happen as the biscuit tin man who is now in charge won’t allow that to happen he has to much money to lose all £3.4 million of that.
Both clubs wash each others hands when it comes to finances hence why LIEWELL denies the 5 Way Agreement.
So no more BITCHING on this site from the people who continue to line the pockets of Mr McVittie and Co.
I think the most frightening part you highlighted was BR “now understands the model” and “will work with the players he is given”.
He would be as well waving a white flag.
Was he so desperate to get back in management that his principles went out the window?
When Ange was appointed Sevco laughed and sat back and waited for the SPL trophy to be delivered by Amazon.
We have fell into the same trap this season BUT there is still time to smell the coffee.
Roy,BYE BYE he will be gone before Christmas.This season and last seasons income combined will total £200 million and the word is no more cash being spent.
And now the article in The Mail today informing us no more big money players coming in or for that matter Roy confirming no more players at all.
There us only one way to put a stop to all of this is get BOYCOTTING the stadium and merchandise stuff NOW PRONTO,otherwise just shut up and get on with being CHISELED.
Excuse me,but who the fuck is Roy ?
Serious question.
Roger over and out.
Roy” Brendan” Rodgers,ie Roy Rodgers a cowboy a bit like our Rodgers the way this season is going.
I had to do a double take there, I thought I read ” quality and powder”
Then again,thinking, the way things are quality powder might just be the ticket i need to get through this.
I was one of the guys that was delighted to have BR back in charge of our team and still am BUT I would be over the moon if he walked NOW just to show up our lying board and the whole set up. I wonder if BR is aware of how the forums are seeing him and the Liewells…..one defeat at Kilmarnock and we are back to square one.
We could have got experienced players and finally buried THEM,
Maybe big Sutton in his next interview with BR will tell him….if he is still our manager
HH
I was also delighted to see Rodgers back ,but only because I thought he would have made it clear to DD P Lawell that he was in charge of team and transfers, obviously not the case ,so he can go anytime for me,I have nightmares about the CL this season we will take hammerings, even under Rodgers last time in Europe we took batterings and that was with a team much stronger than the current one,also I fear going to ipox,if it had been us playing PSV i think we would have been out already after one leg.
Cannot blame Hatate for not extending to be fair. Think I have chucked it too. Don’t really care anymore. Find something else to do on football days. That sounds bad after a treble, but this club continually just lets you down. We will never progress in any way in Europe. Love the club but despise Lawell.
could it be…..the money is being put aside because of major a legal case which the club is involved in ? if the club is indeed proven to have legal ties to CBC – which, at the time, was generally recognised/acknowledged to be one and the same entity, then, if the case goes against and celtic fc are found responsible for compensation payments…..then they are gonna be fairly hefty – rightly so….
i know james, you and i have exchanged emails re this case, and you understood any compensation – where the club was found responsible for, would be dealt with by corporate insurance….but i just wonder…?
how ironic that the actions, or lack thereof, by one despicable CFC board, comes back to bite the heart of another….
there is a certain moral justice to that….tho we, the fans will suffer if the above comes to pass…
one way or another, all those guys deserve major compensation regardless who pays for it…..
HH
For Brendan to say
“He now understands the model” is shocking…. I sure hope he understands how the fans feel about all of this.
Have to agree with some of the posts on here… Boycott!
HH
Why do I feel that we are all being prepared for allowing Rangers to win the league this season? The Celtic Board are a disgrace. And I think we all saw this when Lawwell senior came back as Chairman.
My bro & I discussed last night exactly the same actions as you’re proposing & came up with the same outcome ie if Celtic FC don’t invest in strength, experience and proven talent before this transfer window closes then we won’t be giving the club any more money this season; for tickets to attend the CL games, programmes, pies, etc, during the season and merchandise of course (yes I haven’t bought that dreadful 1st team top but I would’ve). There’s also a good chance I will reduce attendance at home and away league games and therefore increase my disposable cash.
Demos and boycotts will be the way forward.
It’s damn shame if this what we’ve become. HH
We will get a couple of teens from the Man City development squad on loan & maybe a sevco style bling name who is 35/36.
I was gutted that I had given up my season book ,when Lennon was given the managers job, missing out on the 2 ange seasons. Now am quite happy I gave it up because this is shaping up to be similar to Lennons celtic
is it possibe ?…….if celtic are refusing to spend the money on bringing urgently required, first team starters…then is the money being set aside for another reason…? such as the current legal proceedings re the historical abuse case involving CBC and or CFC ? if it is proven, that CFC AND CDC were in fact one and the same entity, then CFC becomes liable for any compensation due to the victims….it was widely accepted/acknowledged at the time, that CFC/CBC were very much as one….so therefore, CFC becomes liable…
i know james, you and i have exchanged emails re the compensation and who is responsible for same…you understood it would be corporate insurance….but i just wonder ?
wouldn’t it be poetic justice, that one vile board of members of CFC, though there actions or lack of, same back to bite at the heart of another vile group of CFC board members ?
the only problem being, is that it would damage the club we all love….NOT that i think that statement involves our current board…only thing that lot loves is the £…….
Found the hun.
Depressing article and a 360 % turn from your position when BR first appointed – think we are all on the journey. What mystifies me is why as rich man such as BR [who doesn’t need the money due to his property portfolio] who want to trash his professional reputation by managing a Celtic side with more money available that his last time in the dugout, yet allows the board to determine who to sign? Why would any manager/ coach sign up for such lack of control? Ibrox game will be a disaster and just the kiss of life that patient needs
I think until the Celtic fans ST holders boycott home games this board of charlatans won’t take one blind bit of notice,vote with our feet,how would an empty stadium look for a televised game.I know this is drastic measures but we are in a drastic place at present if this is what Brendan Rodgers come back for ,to work under lawell again,what was he thinking? me personally I think he grabbed at the job lawell offered him because I think after Leicester I’m sure there wasn’t that many jobs open to him,so he’s clutched at Celtic again after lawell offered him it and obviously on lawells terms.yes a boycott is in order.
It looks as if Beale wrote the script for him. As I said at the time, all this James Bond mallarkey where they flew out to Majorca to meet him while he was taking a break ( couldn`t get anyone to give him a job), McGregor happened to be close by and they went for a meal together, blah, blah, flooking blah. They would have been better to put the tea lady
or gentleman in charge and told the players to carry on as per Ange`s instructions. After all, it was just the same procedure every week. Why does the whole team have to change the way they play, around 30 players having to adapt to a system that was a previous, boring failure, when all it needs is one person, just one person to carry on with a proven, successful style of play. It is not as if Ange held the copyrights: in fact, he would have been flattered.
I don`t think it is coincidence that Lawwell has shown face again and it`s back to square one. I fear for next week.
If they let that other mob win the league this year then they will never look back with all the cash that goes along with it.
Personally, I think Rodgers` best days are long gone. I have absolutely no confidence in him. And if Celtic just wish to make money, why don`t they all go out and sell scarves and macaroon bars around the stadium on match days or buy a wee sweetie shop in the Forge.
I don’t know why my comments await moderation then not printed ,there is no swearing no slander or libel yet not posted after waiting moderation, explain please James
Crikey! I’m shocked! Speechless.
As an Ange fan, I don’t have the passion that many true Celtic supporters have shown here. But I can’t believe the sudden turnaround from the joy of the Ange days to the possible devastation of the club.
I can only wish all Celtic supporters all the very best for a quick resolution of the apparently self inflicted wounds you all fear.
All the best from Oz!