John Hartson ‘guarantees’ what Brendan Rodgers won’t put up with at Celtic

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Brendan Rodgers is one of Celtic’s most successful managers in the modern era and that’s because he does things his way.

Celtic’s trophy haul has its fair share of Rodgers-inspired victory medals with the Irishman lifting 10 pieces of silverware during his two stints at the club.

So the manager has more than earned the right to run an autocracy at Celtic Park if he so chooses. The boss has admittedly leaned on his coaching staff as well as his recruitment team but it is where the latter is concerned that Rodgers has absolute power.

Former striker John Hartson reckons Rodgers would never give that up when it comes to signing his own players. Head of operations Paul Tisdale and his scouting staff have chipped in with ideas over the past season or so, but Hartson is adamant Rodgers always has the final say.

• READ MORE: John Hartson says teenager wanted by Celtic ‘walks into’ Brendan Rodgers’ first team

Brendan Rodgers would not hand over Celtic signing power

And speaking on GO Radio about potential usage of a sporting director – when discussing Michael Tidser’s time at Dunfermline – Hartson insisted the big managers from throughout the years – and Rodgers – wouldn’t have it.

“This is where the modern day game has gone, that’s why these chairmen and chief executives bring someone in, director of football, and he has almost as much a say as the manager,” Hartson said.

“Could I imagine Martin O’Neill? He wouldn’t put up with it. Sir Alex Ferguson wouldn’t have it, Walter Smith certainly wouldn’t. These big names would have nobody signing players.

“But the game has completely changed now. You’ve got these director of football who come in, paid massive wages, to bring in footballers over the manager’s head. They say, ‘Look, we’ll work with him’. But big managers with big personalities, worth their salt, wouldn’t put up with this.

“Brendan wouldn’t have it. Brendan’s come into Celtic, ‘I sign all the players. Yeah you can introduce a player to me, show me a video, recommend him, but I want to look at him, see him, make sure when I’m working with a player that I’m getting the best out of him’.

“‘He’s my responsibility and if he doesn’t play well I’ll hold my hands up’. Brendan wouldn’t have that, I can guarantee Brendan wouldn’t have that.”

Rodgers’ Celtic signings have been hit and miss at times

Rodgers has made some top signings at Celtic with plenty of cash raked in from their eventual sales, too.

The manager has found some gems including the likes of Moussa Dembele for a cross-border compensation fee as well as Scott Sinclair, Paddy Roberts, Nicolas Kuhn and Kasper Schmeichel.

But for every hit there’s been a miss or two and that’s how the game works.

Rodgers was also, for his sins, responsible for spending £1million on Marvin Compper and Marian Shved.