Brendan’s anger can power Celtic forward. We have to trust in his plan.

Expectations were high on Sunday, as the Hoops travelled to Perth to face St Johnstone, with optimism that a win would allow us to seal the title at Paradise on Saturday afternoon.

Regrettably, we were left frustrated and, frankly, greatly betrayed by our players. Three full stands at McDiarmid Park were filled with travelling Celtic fans and, like everyone watching on TV, they were left tearing their hair out by the dreadful performance, mindset and finishing on display from our team.

Now, in the aftermath, clouds of uncertainty and hesitation have gathered over Celtic Park in the aftermath of that shocking defeat.

Naturally, fans’ eyes turned to Brendan Rodgers, asking what went wrong and what he intends to do to improve the Hoops squad.

Don’t get me wrong — I still believe he’s a world-class manager — but after yesterday’s match, I found myself asking the same questions.

Let’s rewind to last season.

Celtic were scrapping for every point right to the finish. They were storming towards the title, drawing 3-3 at Ibrox and then going on to win all of their remaining SPFL fixtures. But in 2024, we lost just two matches, and within the first three months of 2025, the Bhoys have already lost three. Rodgers will now be seriously concerned, thinking: “How do I improve this squad in the summer transfer window?”

To be honest, Celtic’s gaffer looked furious — and rightly so.

The Bhoys played like a side who had lost interest, like they thought the title was already in the bag. Well, it’s not. There are still games to be won to secure that title. Let me say this clearly: if Celtic want to collect more trophies, they need to approach every single game ready to bust a gut for a victory. No club — not even those at the bottom of the SPFL table — should be taken for granted. Those sides can be dangerous when they have the hunger.

In my view, the Bhoys need a long, hard look in the mirror. They need to ask themselves what went wrong, what has to improve, and whether they truly gave everything to get that win. There are moments in life when you have to look at yourself critically and say, “I need to move forward. I need a push. I need to wake up.”

That’s what the Bhoys must do after that performance.

That defeat marked Celtic’s third loss in six Premiership games. That simply isn’t acceptable for a club led by an elite manager like Brendan Rodgers. We are champions. We’re aiming for a fourth consecutive title — and it’s about time we started behaving like it. We should be exuding confidence, playing with style, and looking every inch the best and most successful club in Scotland.

Too often, we start games as if they’ll be easy. But they’re not.

Part of the blame lies with Brendan Rodgers himself of course; I don’t want to give the impression that I am completely absolving him of responsibility. He won’t shy away from that responsibility, nor from the need for change. His options are currently limited, but his after-match comments suggested real urgency ahead of the summer transfer window — both in terms of arrivals and departures.

So, let’s look ahead to the summer transfer window. It’s looming large and will open soon. I have to admit, this could be a busy one for Celtic. Rodgers is clearly looking to strengthen, with several players facing uncertainty about their futures in the east end of Glasgow, while others will definitely move on. Big decisions lie ahead for the boss. It’s a hard nut to crack, but he’s the man for it.

Let’s now take a look at some of those possible futures in the Celtic squad.

Goalkeepers:

Kasper Schmeichel is contracted until 2026 (so he’s staying), as is Scott Bain. Viljami Sinisalo is with us until 2029, and Josh Clarke until 2027.

Defenders:

Right-backs Alistair Johnston (2029) and Anthony Ralston (2027) are both secure.

At centre-back: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Gustaf Lagerbielke (2028), Liam Scales (2028), Stephen Welsh (2027), Auston Trusty (2029), Mike Nawrocki (2028), Dane Murray (2026), and Adam Montgomery (2027) are all under contract for the foreseeable future.

Greg Taylor looks set to leave this summer, with Dinamo Zagreb reportedly keen. That means we’ll need to replace him. Jeffrey Schlupp, who joined in January until the end of the season, is a maybe — we’ve yet to see if he’ll sign a longer deal. Kieran Tierney is on the way to the club. That’s excellent news.

Midfielders:

Captain Callum McGregor (2028), Arne Engels (2028), Odin Holm (2028 — although his future remains uncertain), Luke McCowan (2027 — and looks like he’ll stay), and Reo Hatate (2028 — but possibly off if a suitable offer comes in) make up a strong core. Paulo Bernardo is here until 2029.

Wingers and Forwards:

Jota, now back at Celtic Park, is under contract until 2030 — and I’m not worried there, he loves this club. Luis Palma is expected to leave despite being contracted until 2028. Nicolas Kühn showed no passion or urgency yesterday, and I won’t be surprised if he moves on despite a 2029 deal. James Forrest is here until 2026 and staying. Daizen Maeda (2027) is on fresh terms and hopefully extends again. Adam Idah and Johnny Kenny are both tied up until 2029.

As I mentioned earlier, this summer won’t be straightforward. Yesterday’s performance made it painfully clear that change is needed. Rodgers must consider his options carefully, focus on the weak points, and bring in quality players who can strengthen the team. Personally, I believe Celtic need:

A new central midfielder — someone with fresh energy and vision.

A proper striker to replace Kyogo — that’s an absolute must.

Defensive reinforcements — because we’re far too open at the back and conceding too many soft goals.

And yes, I’d love to see Daizen Maeda stick around beyond 2027.

Rodgers knows what’s required. He wants Celtic to play like champions, like title holders, like the most successful club in the country. That means no drop in standards, no drop in mentality, no comfort zone.

He also wants that other great intangible; progress in Europe.

He said it best himself:

“It’s a group that has mental strength, but I’ve been in teams — especially up here — where you just power your way through the season, right to the very end. When you’re comfortable, you become a bit timid, you lose duels and you lose the fight. You can never be that if you want to be a top player. So collectively, that’s the annoyance. It’s easily done, you can go into the game and look for an easy game, top against bottom. But the very best players are right on it from minute one. And I’m not talking about boys like Callum McGregor, who deals with expectation, who deals with being the underdog in the Champions League and guys like that. But there’s absolutely no doubt, around some of our starts, we have some players going in looking for an easy game. That’s what we need to look at.”

He’s spot on. You can’t become timid. You can’t lose that mental edge.

If we get the decisions right this summer, I believe we’ll come back stronger, sharper, and ready to fight for the title to the very end — and usher in another trophy laden season at Celtic Park.