Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic departure was a predictable exit at a surprising time.
Many expected him to leave Celtic at the end of the season, given his ‘categoric’ promise to honour his three-year deal, unless he got ’emptied’.
So when Celtic announced that Rodgers had tendered his resignation, it felt like an off-script moment. When Dermot Desmond released a scathing statement attacking the departed boss, the situation became more clear.
Rodgers’ infamous Honda Civic comment was one of a number of media quotes which was widely interpreted as a dig at the club’s transfer window.
And a fellow SPFL manager has now given a further insight into just how unhappy Rodgers was.
Brendan Rodgers speaks for the first time as Al-Qadsiah manager
Steven Pressley on Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers didn’t exactly leave Celtic on a high note, in terms of results or vibes.
His resignation came a day after Hearts established a firm lead at the top of the table with a 3-1 win over the Hoops. In Celtic’s prior league fixture, they were beaten 2-0 by Dundee.
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Dundee were managed by former Celtic defender Steven Pressley, and were struggling in the Premiership at the time.
But a dismal performance from Rodgers’ side led to their first defeat at Dens Park in over 37 years.
Pressley, speaking to the Scottish Sun, discussed his meeting with Rodgers after the game, lavishing praise on him.
He said: “He’s a hugely experienced manager, and actually Brendan was in my office prior to the game. We sat and had a coffee because he’s a manager that I do admire and he’s got a wealth of knowledge.
“So we spoke for some time, and I could sense when he was in my office prior to the game that there was some frustrations, that he wasn’t entirely happy about certain things.
“So, was I absolutely shocked by [him leaving]? Not completely. I think he had a number of issues and concerns. But let’s not forget what a good job he did.”
In the return fixture at Celtic Park, Dundee proved a plucky opponent again, but the Celts sealed a 1-0 win in Martin O’Neill’s farewell.
Six weeks on, how do you feel about Brendan Rodgers’ acrimonious Celtic departure?
Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic departure
Less than 24 hours before he left the club, Rodgers vowed that he had ‘never been more motivated’ to deliver success for the club.
But simultaneously, he had never been more frustrated. It was after the Dundee game that Rodgers dropped his infamous car analogy.
His labelling of Hayato Inamura and Shin Yamada as ‘club signings’ only strengthened the idea that there was a disconnect in the club’s transfer business.
But Desmond’s statement insisted that “the facts did not match his public narrative”, and until now, his side of the story is the only that has been heard.
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