Meanwhile, the house was already on fire…
And when the smoke clears, look who’s left standing beside him. Not just one or two loyal lieutenants, but nearly the entire backroom staff, men who could have stayed, men who should have stayed, if this was just one man’s vanity project gone wrong.
But they didn’t. They packed their bags, tipped their caps to an illuminated Celtic Park, and walked out in lockstep. Every one of them, bar Stevie Woods and Gordon Strachan’s laddie. That’s not insubordination, that’s solidarity. That’s a quiet, but nonetheless public, mutiny against the corporate farce masquerading as leadership.
And it blows the whole anti-Rodgers fairytale to pieces, doesn’t it? Because if the man was genuinely the baddie, really the problem, why would so many professionals choose him over the so-called institution?
Here it is, stripped of spin and sanctimony, Brendan Rodgers didn’t break Celtic. Celtic broke Brendan Rodgers.
They drained him dry with politics, committees, and control-freakery dressed up as prudence. They smothered innovation under the weight of their own self-importance. And when the inevitable fracture came, they did what they always do, blamed the one man who dared to ask for more than mediocrity.
Dermot Desmond’s ‘clarity’ statement wasn’t leadership. It was an act of survival, a frantic scramble to get his ‘truth’ out first, while the ship listed to one side. The irony is biblical, the man accusing Rodgers of self-interest has built an empire on exactly that.
And as for the rest of them?
Mute Michael, the CEO who speaks to no one, probably – in my imagination anyway – curled up in a toilet cubicle, shoes pulled up onto the seat, aiming to reach his chin, whispering through his tears, “I cannae dae it.” when he’s asked to write a statement. ‘You don’t need to go on the telly Michael, just a wee statement’. ‘
Ye telt me that last time, I’m no daein it’.
Chris McKay, his plucky sidekick, the Scrappy-Doo, to Michael’s Haven’t got a Scooby, of the boardroom, pounding his wee chest, shouting “let me at ’em, Mr. Desmond!” before being promptly locked in a box alongside some equally angry frogs.
Meanwhile, Dick Dastardly himself twirls his moustache, smirks at his reflection, and considers the new PR team’s request to put to “put something reassuring out for the shareholders.”
But reassurance isn’t in the Celtic playbook anymore. Instead, Dick takes a deep breath, and whispers, “Hold my nine-iron kid. I got this.”
What follows is a statement so self-owning, so catastrophically tone-deaf, that if it came from across the city we’d already have popcorn in the microwave and beers chilling in the fridge.
So here we are again, standing in the ruins of another fairytale gone sour, being told to believe that the villain’s mask fits perfectly this time. But peel it back, and what do you see? A club too proud, or blissfully unaware, to admit it’s lost its way. A leadership too terrified to modernise. And a support being treated like extras in someone else’s cringeworthy pantomime.
The truth is out there, somewhere, but it’s buried under a mountain of PR spin and executive cowardice.
Rodgers didn’t torch the place. He just refused to keep pretending it wasn’t already burning.
Niall J
I’ll never believe for a minute, Rodgers sanctioned all transfers..in and out..it’s nothing but lies to camouflage the board and Mr invisible. I agree 💯 that this isn’t Rodgers doing, this is down to men who are too busy worrying about their bonus money ..a complete gut out needs done, starting with the invisible man then working downwards. I love Mon, he’s a Celtic legend, but he’s only been installed to keep the fans sweet. As for SM, I think he’s a shoe in for the job….if the present board have their way
Bravo brother. Bravo.
Rodger’s the FALL GUY FOR ALL THOSE PARASITES IN THE BOARDROOM
Absolutely disgraceful that Desmond should exploit 73 yeahr old Martin Oneill’s affinity and love of Celtic to deflect from his megalomaniacal rage at Roger’s “fuck you”
Two with obvious Narccistic tendancies, one evidently sociopathic,
derangedly assainating his former friend’s professionalism and character. He basically confirmed the story leaked to the S*N rag as board belief and policy….. At least we know where the ‘leak’ cam from. Get Desmond and his Tory cohort the fuck out of our club. #itsinthewronghands
Conveniently forget niall, that Rodgers lit the fuse, with over 30M spent on players, and not a regular starter added to the squad?
Our core group of players, was built by Ange, and Rodgers still depended hugely upon them.
Biggest failure of Rodgers was in developing nothing player wise.
Idah was his biggest failure, and getting him out of the club, so kelchi is now meant to be the better replacement, for how Rodgers wanted the team to play.
Our most expensive signing struggling to even get a game.
To many players have gone backwards under Rodgers, but hardly surprising as he is nothing more than a 2 year manager.
The levels of excuses handed out for his own failings, have been at pathetic levels.
Getting so called progress in CL football, caught out many of the big guns in the revamped CL.
Built upon decent home form, but still unable to get that elusive away victory?
But let’s continue to ignore that in 10 European away fixtures within his 2nd spell,
4 draws, and the usual skelpings in a few, yet we are meant to celebrate a draw in bayern, but ignore it took us 70 minutes to show up in the home leg?
Already 5 European ties this season, and the 1 victory last time out, hardly makes up for the 4 beforehand?
And again the consistency that’s been missing for the best part of this calendar, still remains lost,and never to be found again from him either.
Glad we seen the back of him now, and hopefully we can get back to actually enjoying the football our still capable of producing, but short lived under Rodgers, no matter how you try and dress it up?