Brendan Rodgers during his first season led Celtic to an Invincible season winning the Scottish Premiership, the League Cup and the Scottish Cup without losing a game in any of the three competitions. It was such an impressive achievement that Matt Corr decided to write a book about it.
Now theRangers propaganda machine is in full flow trying to equate their achievement this season – where they have been undefeated in the league and are already Champions – to what Celtic’s Invincibles achieved. Airbrushing out the League Cup defeat to St Mirren and before even kicking a ball in the Scottish Cup campaign, and of course the league campaign isn’t over and there are two Glasgow Derbies where Celtic will have a chance to make sure that there is no chance of an undefeated campaign for theRangers in the league.
Regardless their season is NOT on a par with Celtic’s 2016/17 season even if they do go undefeated in the league and win the Scottish Cup because this happened…
Yesterday in The Sunday Post John Brown was even taking the myth making even further by suggesting that back in 2012 they nearly went out of business. As it was the holding company and not the club (as we all know) that carried out the business side of things, it’s remarkable to note that the holding company like the club is survived the events of 2012.
“I don’t know about others who have won leagues for Rangers. I don’t disrespect any other,” John Brown told Sunday Post. “But because of where the club has been, and how close we were to going out of business, I think this is the best of the 55.
“To do it in the season Celtic wanted it most of all makes it sweeter for every Rangers fan around the globe.”
So that’s the Continuity Myth, the Holding Club ‘nearly went out of business lie and now the Invincible comparison distortion. What are they like?
No, what Brendan Rodgers said was that going unbeaten in the season was special (not simply the league): 47 games, including the league and two domestic trophies.
You cannot conflate Celtic’s Invincible Treble with rangers simply going undefeated in the league (potentially). https://t.co/g5eAFEmsqr
— Fitzy 🍀 (@Fitzy_072) March 15, 2021
Rodgers when he was Liverpool manager came within a Stevie G slip of winning the Premier League and he recognising the achievement that Gerrard has reached in finally winning the first title of his career at Ibrox.
“Steven’s done excellent,” the former Celtic manager told Sky Sports. “I think this season they’ve been the most consistent team from the very off. He’s gone in and stabilised the club and gave them a way of playing.
“He’s had great support from the board and I think that something’s that the intensity of that Celtic-Rangers competition, demands and expectation is huge. In that third year, he delivered what they wanted.
“As a Celtic supporter, it’s sad to see of course but from a (the)Rangers perspective they’ve been the most consistent team.
“They’ve shown a real high level of consistency and they’ve won the title. They deserve it.”
On John Kennedy prospects of getting the Celtic job on a permanent basis, much will depend on how the results go over the next few weeks if he is to remain a contender. “He’ll certainly be in the frame. I’ve no doubt that one day he will be a manager,” Rodgers believes.
“When I arrived there, I didn’t know John. But when I sat and spoke to him, I had spoken to one or two other people, they were very clear of what his qualities were. In my time there, he was an outstanding coach. He’s worked at every level of the club, so he knows the club inside out.
“He’s played for the club, he’s worked in scouting, coaching, the top end of the academy teams and the first-team. He knows the pressure around the job. I’ve got absolutely no question that whether it’s Celtic or another club that he will go on and manage one day.
“But certainly at this moment in time, he’ll be great for the players. He’s a thinker, he works incredibly hard and he will give everything to the club.
“It’s always difficult when you go in and you can’t really put your stamp on it because the players are the players. But I think he will give them the very, very best until the end of the season and then he’ll go from there.
“One thing is for sure. John being in the club is very, very important. If he didn’t get the job and another manager came in, to have John Kennedy by your side is a great move.”
And Rodgers reckons that the Celtic players should afford theRangers first ever title winning team a Guard of Honour when they enter the field on Sunday for the Glasgow Derby. “My feeling is always that you should show humility and class and be a sporting team,” Rodgers told Sky Sports.
“I can never forget when I was at Chelsea as a young coach and in that first season with Jose (Mourinho) they won the title. I remember going to Old Trafford to watch the game that evening and I’m sure that the Man United players didn’t want to do it,” Rodgers recalled, talking about the Manchester Utd Guard of Honour for Chelsea.
“That must have been really, really difficult but it showed you the class of Sir Alex and showed you the humility of him. It was sporting but can also provide you with great motivation going forward. It’s something that for me – despite the rivalry, despite how difficult it is – you should do and then use it as motivation.”
