Choosing Philippe Clement over Brendan Rodgers in Sports Writers Manager of the Year shortlist looks even more foolish now…

We might not have been at our best this season, but the history books will show that we won a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double.

Despite the team’s success in the trophy hunt, none of our players won any of the personal accolades. That’s despite the brilliant Matt O’Riley turning in such impressive performances that a host of sides such as Atletico Madrid are considering making another bid for the midfielder.

Even more bizarrely, our manager Brendan Rodgers wasn’t even considered in the short list for manager of the year. That’s despite the Irishman leading Celtic to a league and cup double.

The eventual winner was Derek McInnes and you can’t really argue as he’s had a terrific season with Killie, so he throughly deserves the award for leading the Ayrshire side to a European spot after finishing in fourth place.

Brendan not getting the award doesn’t bother me or the majority of the Celtic supporters in the slightest. It’s more the fact he wasn’t even shortlisted for the award, yet Philippe Clement was.

I get the whole ‘he’s got the biggest budget in the league’ thing regarding Brendan, but Clement isn’t exactly working with pennies either. Indeed theRangers, not Celtic, have the highest bill in the Scottish Premiership.

Yes Philippe Clement commands the biggest wage bill in the league and they did more business than ourselves in the January transfer window. Yet the big Belgian finished a runner up to Brendan in both the league and cup. Clement talked continually about his success in closing the points gap of seven that he had inherited from Michael Beale, yet ended up losing the league to Brendan Rodgers by eight points.

It makes the hacks look all the more foolish now that Clement was considered more worthy for shortlisting than Brendan Rodgers who thrives with the end of season pressure and looked like he was loving every minute of it while Clement was losing his composure all over the place, from Dingwall to Dens Park, Parkhead to Hampden.

Anyway it a perfect outcome that Brendan ended up having the last laugh and leaving them all raging, with egg on their faces…

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

Timing of these awards are always the problem. Whether it’s the PFA or Writers awards, they don’t always reflect what your eyes tell you.

The last 8 weeks of the season were a masterful lesson from a football manager who thrives under serious pressure when stakes are highest. https://t.co/Qvx2lJ4n39

— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) May 28, 2024

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READ THIS…Exclusive Photo Gallery from Celtic Legends 4-2 win over Dortmund

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