Brendan's elite manager status now hanging by a thread

Brendan Rodgers is clearly considered to be an elite in the coaching world, with his stellar work in English football helping to earning him that title alongside his body of work at Celtic…

Dundee v Celtic. 19 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Numerous honours in two spells at Celtic have also risen his stock, including an Invincible treble and a remarkable winning record at Hampden that started in 2016 and only ended back in May when Celtic lost the Scottish Cup final to Aberdeen.

Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

However every now and again, Celtic supporters have questioned his status as a so called ‘elite’ manager in the footballing world, especially as it’s a term many of the writers on The Celtic Star are happy to use. Right now is one of those such occasions, and as much as I admire Brendan, his status as a so called elite manager is hanging in the balance.

Brendan is reckoned to be on around £2 million a year, and for me he’s got to start doing more to justify and fully earn that massive salary. Yes, he’s won many honours in his Celtic career in two different spells. The first of which was simply outstanding, but this time around he’s left himself very much open to being questioned.

Barry Ferguson, Interim Manager of theRangers, celebrates with backroom staff after Mohamed Diomande scored the team’s second goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Let’s take this calendar year for example. Nigh on every big game we’ve played we’ve failed to win. The treble was blown, as we fell to a disappointing spot kick defeat to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final back in May. We haven’t beaten theRangers this year and on two of those occasions, Brendan failed to get the better of Barry Ferguson.

This campaign has been worrying. We’ve needed last minute goals to beat St Mirren and Motherwell at home. We failed to beat a poor theRangers side at Ibrox, and were eliminated from the Champions League by a bang average side in Kairat Almaty.

Brendan Rodgers manager of Celtic Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock

Our recent defeat at the hands of Dundee compounded those woes even further, as our elite manager was outsmarted by Steven Pressley who knew exactly how Celtic were going to play. A system that is now a busted flush and has to go in the bin.

Steven Pressley is all smiles. Dundee v Celtic. 19 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Yes, the Celtic board are more than culpable by failing miserably in providing him with the quality he craves, but if we’re honest with ourselves, we should canter the league with the squad we currently have in place. Dundee were more than content to allow Celtic to pass the ball sideways and backwards and despite the best efforts of the travelling support Celtic never really looked like scoring.

Tomorrow night’s against SK Sturm Graz and Sunday’s clash with Hearts are both chances for Brendan to prove his worth, but if he fails yet again, then questions will rightly be asked over his status as not only an elite manager but the Celtic manager.

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