The Celtic Boss Sounded More Like Himself Today Now He Knows What He’s Working With.

Thank God to have something positive to write tonight.

One battle is over for the Celtic boss, and immediately he is focussed on the next one. That’s exactly where I want his focus to be.

There is little doubt he’s been fighting for his players behind the scenes. He can either huff about not getting them and let that drag him down and the season with it or he can continue making his case whilst getting on with the job.

That’s what he was doing today, and he sounded more relaxed than I’ve heard him for a while. There is something liberating for this guy now that he knows what his squad is, and what he’s got to work with from now until the final bell.

Anyone who expected a broken man shorn of confidence certainly didn’t get that. He exuded calm. He even sound quite chipper at times, cracking jokes and getting the hacks laughing as he talked to them about Warnock.

I thought he handled his media duties splendidly. He praised the attitude and work ethic of the new signings, particularly Idah who he cannot afford to let be disheartened by the lukewarm response to his unveiling. Whatever else you can say of him, he brings the pace and the power – Rodgers two key prerequisites – we’ve been sorely lacking.

He praised the mental strength of this team, not to be underestimated at a time when the pressure is on us. He gave encouraging news on the injury situation, and he reminded the hacks that at no time in this campaign has he ever spoken as if the league race was already over. Indeed, as he made sure they remember, there’s a long way still to go.

It was an accomplished display from him. He even talked about the personal pressure he’s feeling as the guy in the hotseat at this most difficult time. He spoke about how this pressure is perfectly normal at Celtic, where the expectations are always high and the need to win things is acute. In short, he brushed it aside as business as usual.

All of it was music to my ears. We need the old Rodgers back right now. We need him focussed and driven and with no distractions. We need him chilled and he sounded that way.

He also talked – and I found it interesting – about how Idah gives him the opportunity to change the playing system, which I know every single one of us would welcome, and we’ve talked about it on this site and I’m sure elsewhere at great length.

It is not something any manager does lightly, but with the squad now pretty much set in stone he has to decide how best to work with what he’s got, and if that does require a change of formation that’s what he’s going to have to do.

He seems amendable to it, and he will have to be. That’s the sort of decision which could cost him his job, one way or the other.

But for now, that was more like it. That was Rodgers the way we want to see him. If that mood transfers to the players, we could easily flip this title race back into our favour and then start to do what we’ve failed to so far; pulling away from that lot.