Brendan Rodgers offers blunt claim about Celtic squad

SS Lazio v Celtic FC: Group E - UEFA Champions League 2023/24
SS Lazio v Celtic FC: Group E - UEFA Champions League 2023/24 / Silvia Lore/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

A manager of Brendan Rodgers' experience will know that he does not have a lot of time to turn things around at Celtic. Neil Lennon's 2020/21 team, who finished trophyless and 25 points behind the Rangers in the league, had one more point after 18 games than the current side. That stat will worry the supporters for sure.

Unfortunately, things do not seem to be getting better. Rodgers' has to take his fair share of the responsibility as well.

He has a squad full of treble winners but just has not been able to get the best out of them. Kyogo, who scored 34 goals last season, seems lost in Rodgers' system. Luis Palma, who made a fantastic start to life at Parkhead, has seen his early form fade away. Players like Reo Hatate, Greg Taylor and more have failed to match the performances they delivered under the management of Ange Postecoglou.

So, what does the future hold for this current squad? As reported by Football Scotland, when asked if the current group has reached it's end point, Rodgers told BBC Scotland:

"It's the pitfalls of success. You have to keep refreshing the group. It's a sore one for the fans because this is mid-December and I walked out and thought 'wow, with the crowd that's here let's put on a demonstration of our football and mentality.

"Sadly there was only a few players that stood up to that. I thought Callum McGregor was outstanding, trying to drive his team on as a captain should. Sadly he was having to play a couple of positions to try and inspire the team.

"Overall a disappointing result and I need to take responsibility for that."

Rodgers offers blunt claim about Celtic squad

It is hard to see where things go from here to be honest. Rodgers quite certainly is a very good manager. But he has not done a great job since returning to Parkhead.

On the other hand, the players have looked uninspired as well. Maybe they just do not fit the system that the manager is trying to play. At the end of the day, most of them were signed during Postecoglou's run.

Many fans have turned their attention towards the board as well. One cannot overlook the fact that the summer transfer window was not good at all. Other than Palma, nobody else seems to be in Rodgers' first-team plans. And even the Honduran has been struggling lately, and could find himself out of the starting XI once Daizen Maeda and Liel Abada are fit.

feed