Late in the evening of September 5, The Sun published highly damaging claims about Brendan Rodgers.
On Monday night, October 6, at a meeting with supporters the issue of senior figures undermining the manager was put to Michael Nicholson.
It has been ‘investigated’, none of the club directors were involved so the matter is now closed! Time to move on as if nothing had happened, it sounds familiar.
That came from a leaked report on the meeting. More than 24 hours after it ended the agreed minutes have still to be published.
Perhaps those minutes have gone behind the July 2024 Fans Survey in the list of boardroom priorities.
In a normal workplace HR would be brought in to investigate, mobile phone records would be checked, each director would be interviewed. How Celtic investigated is a mystery.
Effectively Celtic are denying the substance of the story in The Sun.
Normally action would be taken removing media privileges, that hasn’t happened. The Sun has been at every Celtic match and media conference since publishing their EXCLUSIVE.
THE TELLING SILENCE
Normally a club would react to that sort of story with a full on denial alongside giving Rodgers their full support.
Celtic went into hiding, the day after publication they launched a 1030 word statement with no reference to Rodgers.
Having failed to condemn the story The Sun is sitting in a very strong position.
They published claims against Brendan Rodgers. He described it as a cowardly act, he expected those involved to be dismissed. Celtic have taken no action- against those involved or The Sun.
Hannah knows the source of his story, he knows the senior figures involved.
Whenever Hannah and The Sun want a favour from Celtic he has a decent card to play, if Celtic don’t comply some senior figures could be made to sweat.
The headline grabber in The Sun story was the claim that he was trying to engineer his exit from Celtic.
Obvious nonsense, he will leave in May at the end of his three year contract, no need to shorten that.
The purpose of the report was to switch criticism from the boardroom to the dug out.
REWIND TO 2019
A not so subtle reminder that Rodgers had quit almost overnight in February 2019. Leaving two days before a league trip to Tynecastle. Followed quickly by a Scottish Cup tie away to Hibs.
There were other claims involved in the report from ‘senior figures at the club’. Apparently Rodgers was the first manager to question the strategy, most Celtic fans will be surprised to discover that the club actually has a strategy.
A week earlier quotes had been put together from Neil Lennon, Ange Postecoglou and Roony Deila. Plus Rodgers I.
Only the board understand the strategy, the one that has failed in five successive Champions League qualifiers.
Roger Hannah of The Sun reported:
CELTIC insiders believe boss Brendan Rodgers wants out of Parkhead after a split over summer signings.
SunSport understands senior figures at the club are concerned he’s trying to “engineer his exit”.
Soon afterwards The Sun reported:
Now some insiders believe it’s reached a critical point — and the gaffer could go before the end of his three-year deal.
One source told SunSport: “Senior figures inside the club believe Rodgers is engineering his exit.
Celtic have attempted to forget and bury the story. Their supporters haven’t, or their manager.
Brendan Rodgers made it front and centre of his media conference on September 19. The match two days later at Kilmarnock barely got a mention.
A month down the line no action has been taken. The Sun remains in the Celtic media gallery, the senior figures watch alongside them from the Directors Box.
Amid so much turmoil there is an easy win for the club, a decision to take action on that story undermining the team.
CEO Nicholson has constantly been shown up as having no leadership ability.
This instance confirms Nicholson’s credentials, the club is compromised alongside one of their trusted media partners.
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