There are a lot of problems at Celtic right now. The fans are not satisfied with how things have been run in recent times, and that has been pretty evident in recent weeks. It remains to be seen if any changes take place as a result of it. On the other hand, there are plenty of other issues that need to be sorted as soon as possible.
One of them is the contract situation of Brendan Rodgers. The Northern Irishman is in the final year of his contract at Parkhead and there are fears that he could be on his way out at the end of the season.
The bigger fear is the idea that the board might be content with Rodgers leaving. And following the recent update from the manager himself on his contract situation, one has to wonder if that is indeed the case.
It is never a good idea to let someone's contract run down if you want to keep him. But it looks like there is no movement when it comes to an extension for the manager. As reported by 67 Hail Hail, Rodgers said when asked if there was an update on his deal:
"There is nothing as of yet, no."
Brendan Rodgers confirms bad news Celtic fans were afraid of
There was the 'leak' earlier this month about senior figures at Celtic not being happy with Rodgers. If there is any truth to that, then it is easy to see why the club might be open to the idea of parting ways with the manager in the summer, even if he delivers three straight league titles.
Then there is the matter of what Rodgers wants. There was a clear lack of ambition shown in the summer transfer window, despite the club posting record revenue and profit numbers. Would the manager want to continue in the role, when he has not been backed year after year?
At the end of the day, Rodgers' contract situation will become pretty clear very soon. Of course, his second spell has not been nearly as good as his first one. And at times, it has felt that parting ways might be the right step for both parties. That being said, one has to weigh the risks as well.
There is something to be said about Rodgers' ability to find a way to win silverware, even when he has not been dealt the best cards. Even under these circumstances, his team are nine points ahead of the Rangers. Yes, a large part of that is that the Rangers have been terrible. But then, the Hoops have had to pick up points available to them, which they have done successfully.
It is easy to get a managerial appointment wrong. Just ask the Rangers. Russell Martin, Philippe Clement, Mick Beale and Giovanni van Bronckhorst all proved to be wrong appointments. And although Steven Gerrard did win the league, that was his only trophy in three-plus years at Ibrox. So, a proven winner like Rodgers leaving would be a major risk.