The attention is never far from the Celtic manager.
This is the case for whoever is in charge, but especially so for Brendan Rodgers in the final year of his contract.
Rodgers vowed to stay at Celtic for the entirety of his three-year contract when he returned for his second spell. He has remained consistent on this.
Another desperately disappointing summer transfer window left him feeling ’empty’, but he has said that he is open to extending his Celtic stay under the right conditions.
For Chris Sutton, he is hinting that he wants away with his media comments – and may well be within his rights to do so.
Chris Sutton on Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers’ Honda Civic comments after the Dundee defeat caused a media storm, with some accusing him of hanging his player out to dry.
He has firmly defended them however, insisting that it was simply an honest analysis of the speed of the team’s play.
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Should Rodgers depart, all Celtic fans will know why. He has said that he is not the man if the club are just looking to ‘maintain’ their position – his ambitions are greater than that.
For Sutton, speaking in his column for the Daily Record, there is no question over whether Rodgers is entitled to be unhappy.
He said: “Many fans felt he was within his rights to leave after that atrocious last transfer window and, had he not gone to Leicester at the time he did to end his first spell, then he may well have done so.
“I also realise the board surely cannot get rid of a manager merely because of the fact he is just plainly pointing out the mistakes they have made upstairs. Not to mention his trophy record.
“It feels to me like an unhappy stalemate, so I think Rodgers is poking, being antagonistic. The obvious question then becomes: Is he entitled to be?
“My answer to that would be unequivocally yes.
“I don’t know how else to think when I look at what he’s had to deal with. Crucial injuries to the likes of Cameron-Carter Vickers and Alistair Johnston just exaggerate the failings of the window. He constantly pointed out the needs and little was delivered.
“Match of the Day interviews on the BBC last weekend. Why did that come about? Seemed like odd timing.
“Rodgers said during the week he has never been more motivated at Celtic, yet that came days after his Honda Civic statements at Dens Park.”
Will Brendan Rodgers leave Celtic early?
Rodgers can make promises to the Celtic support all he wants – a section of the support will always have trust issues after he left out of the back door to join Leicester in 2019.
Where more fans can understand him is on his frustrations with the club’s transfer activity – the ongoing wave of Celtic fan protests shows this.
Rodgers has insisted that he maintains a positive relationship with Dermot Desmond, so would he be so bold as to let him down again?
It’s probably more likely that he calls an end to contract talks before the end of the season and starts to negotiate a summer switch as Ange Postecoglou did.
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