With minimal backing from the Celtic board Brendan Rodgers has restored Celtic’s credibility in Europe.
For years Peter Lawwell and Michael Nicholson have been anxious to highlight the growing gulf in finances on the rare occasions that they were questioned about the sustained failures in European football.
The Champions League qualifiers had been turned into a minefield due to defeats from Malmo, Maribor, Cluj, AEK Athens, Ferencvaros and Midtjylland.
Supporters were almost conditioned into thinking that level of failure was the norm followed by Thursday’s night’s in the Europa League and the opportunity to bring in significant money from UEFA without pushing to get the best team possible on the park.
The summer of 2023 will forever be remembered as the worst Transfer Window in Celtic’s history. Mark Lawwell delivered a job-lot of seven dubious projects, six have been written off with Rodgers forced to persists with Jang ‘Bless Gim’ Hyun-jun due to the lack of alternatives on the wing.
Last January Lawwell Mini was sidelined, Rodgers brought in Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah who have delivered six Champions League goals this season. The benchmark.
Finally in the summer, once Matt O’Riley was sold, Arne Engels, Auston Trusty and Luke McCowan were signed, a month later without the benefit of pre-season training they were eaten alive away to Borussia Dortmund.
Fail to prepare and all that. The outcome was obvious, a few weeks later Rodgers produced a 0-0 draw away to Atalanta, following that with a 3-1 win at home to RB Leipzig brought Celtic new found respect in Europe, no longer were they on the bucket list for YNWA, selfies and three easy points.
This season Rodgers has delivered 10 Champions League matches generating the guts of £50m and probably doubling the transfer value of every player in his squad.
Amid the emotions, the pride and hurt of last night’s result Rodgers had a clear message for Michael Nicholson and the Celtic board.
Our European credibility has been restored this season – that’s my takeaway. We have shown real quality at times.
Think of the last time we were in Germany and the improvements we have made.
It was not what the players deserved, especially right at the very end. They gave so much and played with confidence.
We knew we’d have to defend but we didn’t give away too much. We had quality, some great moves and the best chances. It was a really heroic performance and we were just unfortunate at the end.
Later Rodgers added:
We’ve made the progress that made me want to come back here. Now we’ve got to finish the season off strongly.
We’ve got two titles to go for and then get to the Champions League next season. We will look to build the squad again.
Unswerving, my plan is to make this a season club at this level where we can go and really hurt big opponents like Bayern Munich.
Tellingly, last night Rodgers only used two substitutes, he had no-one else he could trust on the bench to do a better job than players than had been slugging it out with Bayern Munich for 70, 80 and more minutes.
If available Paulo Bernardo and James Forrest would have been used but ideally Rodgers needs every area of the squad strengthened. This season Celtic have been fairly fortunate with injuries, certainly it has been easier than last season when Cameron Carter-Vickers, Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and others had lengthy absences through injury.
Rodgers has shown what he is capable of with a squad that barely extends beyond 14 or 15 players, he has gone public with what is required to progress, he has revealed his unswerving plan to take the club forward. He has one more season on his contract.
With a few months notice Nicholson was unable to find a January striker to replace Kyogo Furuhashi.
Last night Jota and Jeff Schlupp started against Bayern Munich without having played 90 minutes this season.
The current Celtic CEO has so far shown himself to be nothing more than a watered down version of his mentor, the current Chairman.
Over the next few months he can step out and show himself to be his own man or prepare the search for a new manager happy to accept the ambition of staying one step clear of the club knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Queens Park.
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