Brendan Rodgers's resignation at Celtic has ended months of speculation and has sent shockwaves through the Scottish football community. The Irish manager, who had been under pressure for some time, finally called it quits after a tumultuous second spell in Glasgow.
However, what is truly astonishing is not Rodgers' departure itself but the vitriol with which his successor, Martin O'Neill's return to Celtic was met by Dermot Desmond, the club's owner. Desmond's ferocity seemed personal and spiteful, revealing a toxic atmosphere that has been simmering inside Celtic Park for months.
Rodgers had become increasingly frustrated with the lack of attacking reinforcements during the summer transfer window and January, which he claimed had left him feeling desperate to find solutions. His frustration was compounded by the lack of progress in Europe, where Celtic have consistently struggled despite having some talented players at their disposal.
Desmond's comments about Rodgers being "self-serving" and guilty of a breach of trust have raised more questions than answers. Was Rodgers truly as egotistical as Desmond suggests? Or did he simply refuse to compromise his values and principles when it came to the club he loves?
One thing is certain, however: Celtic's squad has regressed dramatically since Rodgers took charge for the second time. The likes of Johnny Kenny, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Shin Yamada, and Hayato Inamura have barely seen action, while Daizen Maeda and Kelechi Iheanacho have been underwhelming in their performances.
Rodgers may not be blameless for Celtic's struggles, but he was undoubtedly the most talented football operator at the club. His desire to drive the club forward was admirable, even if his methods sometimes raised eyebrows.
The acrimony between Rodgers and Desmond will likely become a major talking point in the coming days. Rodgers' side of the story is still to be heard, and when it is, it will no doubt be fascinating.
Meanwhile, O'Neill's return to Celtic has sparked hopes that the club can turn their fortunes around. The 73-year-old manager retains his man-management skills and has a wealth of experience to draw upon. However, this underwhelming squad playing in front of a disgruntled audience presents significant challenges for him.
Celtic's problems run far deeper than Rodgers' departure, however. Desmond's polemic only serves to highlight the lingering issues that have plagued the club for some time. The question remains: what next for Celtic?
However, what is truly astonishing is not Rodgers' departure itself but the vitriol with which his successor, Martin O'Neill's return to Celtic was met by Dermot Desmond, the club's owner. Desmond's ferocity seemed personal and spiteful, revealing a toxic atmosphere that has been simmering inside Celtic Park for months.
Rodgers had become increasingly frustrated with the lack of attacking reinforcements during the summer transfer window and January, which he claimed had left him feeling desperate to find solutions. His frustration was compounded by the lack of progress in Europe, where Celtic have consistently struggled despite having some talented players at their disposal.
Desmond's comments about Rodgers being "self-serving" and guilty of a breach of trust have raised more questions than answers. Was Rodgers truly as egotistical as Desmond suggests? Or did he simply refuse to compromise his values and principles when it came to the club he loves?
One thing is certain, however: Celtic's squad has regressed dramatically since Rodgers took charge for the second time. The likes of Johnny Kenny, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Shin Yamada, and Hayato Inamura have barely seen action, while Daizen Maeda and Kelechi Iheanacho have been underwhelming in their performances.
Rodgers may not be blameless for Celtic's struggles, but he was undoubtedly the most talented football operator at the club. His desire to drive the club forward was admirable, even if his methods sometimes raised eyebrows.
The acrimony between Rodgers and Desmond will likely become a major talking point in the coming days. Rodgers' side of the story is still to be heard, and when it is, it will no doubt be fascinating.
Meanwhile, O'Neill's return to Celtic has sparked hopes that the club can turn their fortunes around. The 73-year-old manager retains his man-management skills and has a wealth of experience to draw upon. However, this underwhelming squad playing in front of a disgruntled audience presents significant challenges for him.
Celtic's problems run far deeper than Rodgers' departure, however. Desmond's polemic only serves to highlight the lingering issues that have plagued the club for some time. The question remains: what next for Celtic?
he was just trying to do his job and drive the team forward, but i guess you can't win over everyone at celtic 
anyway, gotta wonder if rodgers ever felt like he was being backed by desmond in the first place 
o'Neill's return is a good thing, but celtic's squad issues run deeper than just one manager 
I think it's a shame Rodgers had to go out with this kind of drama 
. I mean, you can tell there was already tension between him and Desmond 
, but the way things escalated is just sad 
. I'm all for tough love, but personal attacks? Not cool 
.
️. The squad did regress under his leadership, and that's not something you can just brush off 
. But at the same time, it seems like Desmond has a lot of accountability to take too 
. I mean, who's really behind the scenes pulling the strings here? 
. He's got some great experience under his belt, and he can connect with the fans 
. But this team needs a lot more than just a new manager 
. I think we're gonna have to wait and see what Desmond does next 
. Fingers crossed for Celtic, but it's not looking good right now 
. What really grinds my gears is that Rodgers wasn't given the resources to make Celtic a top-tier team in Europe... meanwhile, other teams are doing it with less drama 
?! Brendan Rodgers gets the boot and then Martin O'Neill comes back and Desmond just goes off on him like he's some kinda villain 
. And yeah, his methods might've been a bit unorthodox, but at least he was trying to drive the club forward 
. It's like Desmond is trying to make an example out of him or something. And let's be real, the squad's performance hasn't exactly been inspiring lately 
. But at the same time, I don't think he's entirely blameless either 
. The fact that Celtic didn't bring in more attacking players during the transfer window is pretty shady 
. Will Desmond finally admit that he messed up or will he continue to deflect blame? And what about Rodgers' side of the story? We won't know until then 
.
. Rodgers was already under pressure and it looks like he was about to be pushed out, but then Desmond just takes it to another level 
.
. It's gonna be interesting to see how he'll tackle these issues 
. Can't we just get on with it already? Let's hear from Rodgers and see if there's any truth to the rumors 
.
.
. And what about Rodgers? Did he really deserve all that vitriol from Desmond? I don't know... maybe I'm just giving him a free pass because he's my fave 
.
. Rodgers' methods might've been unorthodox, but he was trying to drive the club forward in a positive way. Desmond's comments about him being "self-serving" seem super unfair 
. One thing's for sure, though: the drama is far from over 
.
Did we really need that kind of vitriol? 
According to Sofascore, their xG (expected goals) has decreased by 25% this season alone 
If we look at their win/loss record over the past few seasons, they've struggled to maintain consistency 
Rodgers' methods may have been unorthodox, but he brought a level of innovation and creativity to the team that was sorely lacking 
Only time will tell! 
. The real question is: when will Desmond take responsibility for his own mistakes?