Brendan Rodgers’ return to Celtic has worked out like a treat.
When Rodgers left Celtic for Leicester City in 2019, it left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth, and that call made him very unpopular.
Fast forward to 2023, and Ange Postecoglou leaves Celtic for Tottenham, as not many expected the Irishman to walk back through the doors.
But that’s exactly what happened, and it’s the best decision Celtic made because of where the club is right now.
In that first season of Rodgers’ second spell, he won the double, and now Celtic are on course for the Treble, if they beat Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final on May 24.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers misses out on PFA’s Manager of the Year award
At the recent PFA awards, Daizen Maeda won the main prize, with Lennon Miller nabbing the young player’s award.
Rodgers was nominated for the manager’s prize, but that was won by Falkirk’s Championship promotion-winning boss, John McGlynn.
That was discussed by the Open Goal panel, with Gordon Dalziel and James McFadden ruing the timing of the awards, because everything was decided before all the trophies are handed out, with fellow pundit Paul Slane telling the panel it was a ‘controversial’ call.
Dalziel stated: “The votes are different. It’s like Player of the Year. The votes are in (early). You can’t take into consideration that it’s easy to win a Treble. It’s a magnificent achievement.
“Remember, it’s the managers who vote for it, right. We don’t vote for it. There are two arguments to it. I love the fact that McGlynn. What he has achieved and everything about it. But I don’t care what you say, a Treble is still a f___ing achievement.
“It’s unfortunate for the PFA, because it’s always earlier, isn’t it?! Sometimes, you look at a player with a really great run at the end of the season, then it gets to the end of the season and you go, ‘he wasn’t even in Team of the Year’, so it’s a difficult one. The problem with the PFA is see if they wait until the end of the season, everybody has booked their holidays. Everybody is away.”
McFadden added: “See, when the votes are in or counted. Falkirk could have lost, and McGlynn would have still got Manager of the Year.”
Open Goal panel think Rodgers should have won Manager of the Year
Celtic have been so utterly dominant, including winning 14 out of the last 15 titles, that it is becoming the norm.
But, as Dalziel and McFadden explained, that shouldn’t be the case, and what Rodgers is doing is still difficult.
That’s why the duo stated that, if it was up to them, then they would have given Rodgers his flowers and given him the PFA award.
Dalziel stated: “It’s a hard one. The votes are in before (the season ends). You would be peeved off if you did win the Treble, and you don’t get Manager of the Year.
“As much as everyone will say, ‘well, Celtic have got everything at their disposal’. To win the league, fine, because they are the better team and better over the course and distance. Fine. No problem.
“But something can happen in a cup game that can put you (out). To win a Treble is still very difficult, so if he wins the Treble, then I think people would look and think, ‘how can a manager win a Treble and still not win Manager of the Year’ – if Celtic win the Treble, I would have gone for Rodgers (as Manager of the Year).”
McFadden added: “I think the big point is that the managers pick who they think is Manager of the Year. Everybody can get upset if they want, but they have picked who they feel has done a great job.
“But you can’t say, ‘another Treble for Celtic. He is expected to win it’. You still need to do it. It is harsh. It’s hard to overlook that Rodgers could win another Treble. You need to get the votes in and everything organised.”
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