Michael Stewart still can’t get over an unnamed senior Celtic executive briefing against Brendan Rodgers to a newspaper.
On September 5 days after the close of the transfer window, The Scottish Sun quoted a source saying: “Senior figures inside the club believe Rodgers is engineering his exit.
“What he’s said in public has torn the club apart. On and off the record discussions are creating division throughout the club.
“He’s the only manager in the club’s history who has repeatedly questioned things. It’s been the same board, same management and same strategy.
“The club have spent tens of millions. When Brendan came back, he agreed to the club’s strategy. There are now people inside the club who are deeply unhappy with his words.
“To make matters worse, these issues appear to be seeping into the performance of the team. It’s like Groundhog Day again.”
Stewart revisits ‘vitriolic’ briefing against Rodgers
Rodgers blasted the ‘cowardly action’, while the Celtic board ‘suggested that the allegation was unsubstantiated and did not require further investigation.’
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound, Stewart blasted the ‘vitriolic attack’ and says it sums up the disconnect between Rodgers and the board.
Initially speaking about poor performances on the pitch, Stewart said: “The transfer window has been huge. I think it’s not only affecting the players but the manager as well.
“And I think when you add all of that in to just the general drop in quality, the impact it has on the mainstays of the team, then it’s no great surprise that the overall performance level has dropped off.
“And once that happens, you start to have that little death spiral that becomes all the more difficult to come out of. And all the noise and all the issues surrounding the disconnect and the civil war, basically, that is going on between the board and the manager…
“You know, I’ve got to revisit it here. But to have an unnamed source at the club having such a vitriolic attack on the manager over a month ago, that was really poor. And it gives you an insight into what is going on there.”
Rodgers nailed on to leave Celtic next summer
There’s no reason why Brendan Rodgers should want to stay on as Celtic manager next season and beyond.
He didn’t get what he wanted or needed from the club’s board in the transfer window, and that has left him frustrated.
He absolutely doesn’t deserve to escape criticism, however, for recent displays because he has the squad to beat the likes of Dundee and Kairat Almaty.
But the constant pokes and jibes in the press, the latest his Honda Civic reference, shows he doesn’t want to be at the club long term.
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