Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers isn’t too perturbed by his ban for Sunday’s match away to Livingston and has shared he will have lines of communication open if need be.
The Bhoys manager received a suspension for comments made about Don Robertson and John Beaton in the wake of a defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle earlier this month.
Rodgers will be restricted to the stand in West Lothian, unable to be on the touchline before the game, during warm-ups, the match itself or even after the full-time whistle.
It’s likely the boss will be situated alongside other Celtic staff and directors attending the game. He isn’t allowed to sit directly behind the dugout or be anywhere near a designated ‘playing zone’.
Per Scottish FA rules, the Celtic manager also isn’t allowed into the dressing room before the match or at half-time. He also can’t be in any of the tunnels around that area of the stadium.
Brendan Rodgers confident of Celtic communication at Livingston
However, he should be able to pass along messages to his coaching team on the bench in some manner. Regardless of the methods used, which will be within the rules, Rodgers is open about his intent to have communication on the day, somehow.
He said in a media conference when asked if he has a plan of action [Celtic FC YouTube]: “Yeah, absolutely. I won’t be going golfing, that’s for sure. I’m obviously disappointed to get banned for the first time in my career, but I respect the decision and we’ll find a way around it.
“We have been preparing all week for the game and over these next couple of days we’ll finalise that. The players will go in, I’ll have a seat in the stand and I’m sure we’ll be able to have communication from there.
“I’ve not been overly thinking it. It was only yesterday it was confirmed. I’ve always been a coach who has loved being down on the pitchside with the players so that if I need to make any quick changes, it’s there.
“But I’ve also got big trust in my staff here as well, and like I say, we’ll be in communication. But the players will go into the game knowing exactly what it is they have to do and we’ll have that communication with the bench.
“It is what it is. I was disappointed with the one game suspension, but with the SFA it was all done very professionally. I have huge thanks for the club because Celtic gave me unwavering support in the defence of the breach. We accept it and move on from it.”
John Kennedy will be the man trusted to communicate with the players on the day, something he’s done before in his role as caretaker manager following the exit of Neil Lennon in 2021.
Hopefully, the upheaval isn’t too much of a detriment to the players, who are professional enough to work around this issue and get the job done. Three points are a must regardless of the circumstances.
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