Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

So the players available aren't physically capable of creating a shot at goal against Kairat or the Huns? that's what you're saying, no manager in world football could get them to play any better than Rodgers did?

 

I’ve never blamed a Celtic manager for CL qualification failure. Reason being, the board have let us down in pretty much every game we’ve played in it.

 

Have you never blamed a Celtic manager for a poor performing team?

 

For me Kairat is mostly on the board..

But, Rodgers failed to get us up for the game tie too.. so he's not totally absolved of any blame.

 

The question initially was specifically around CL qualification. Have the board ever had us fully prepared going into the games?

 

My question also included that said manager had us failing to create chances against teams of Kairat & the huns this season's quality. There's a way to lose/drop points - going down without a fight is unacceptable for me.

 

The huns are hopeless, we aren’t much better. We’ve went to Ibrox and drew 0-0 to keep us 6 points ahead. It’s hardly a disaster. The huns have been hopeless in the past as well. When was the last time we went there and won comfortably?

 

I am not painting the result or the league table as a disaster, that's choosing your own context to frame it. I have repeatedly referred to the performances, not results, and literally just said there's a way to drop points and for me this isn't acceptable or excusable.

I would only excuse the manager if we create enough chances to win the game and poor finishing or poor individual performances cost us - he can't kick the ball in himself - but he is responsible for getting the team to be competitive.

 

We have been competitive. We’ve not conceded a goal yet this season. The manager and all of us have been saying all summer what we needed. Players in the attacking third. They never arrived. It’s not a great surprise we’re struggling to score goals. A 34 year old James Forrest and Yang as your two wide men starting a CL play-off game is * chronic. Then add in Maeda who is miles off it this season. We basically had no front line whatsoever.

 

You're trying to tell me that the squad we had for Kairat Almaty wasn't enough to get past them? What?

It's not like we were playing our youth team against them.

Meada - 33 goals last season
Idah - 20 goals last season
Nygren - Scored 16 for Nordsjaelland last season
Kenny scored 5 in the conference league last season against similar opposition

There was plenty of goals in that side to get past that mob. it was the slow, pedestrian, shoehorn football that was the problem. Their 38 year old CB never had to get out of second gear in both legs because we let them get back into shape every time because we wanted 'controlled' possession
I'm not going to debate it too much because, well quite frankly it's in the past I just don't understand the opinion that Rodgers can't take any sort of blame whatsover.

 

You're missing my point. I am not complaining of a lack of goals, I'm complaining of a lack of chances or even threat anywhere near the opponent's box, let alone testing their keepers.

 

Do you not think the reasons I gave above might be having an impact on why we’re struggling to create openings?

 

Exactly.

 

No, I think they are reasons why we might spurn chances or be profligate. They are not the reason that we look lacklustre and slow on the ball, that the CBs and keeper have more touches than the wingers, or that we can't even attempt a well worked set piece drill.

 

Maeda who’s head looked elsewhere and Idah who’s confidence looked shot to pieces. Nygren wasn’t playing in our team so what he done last season is kind of irrelevant. Likewise with Kenny.

Should we have got past Almaty? Aye we probably should have. They didn’t get to the play-off round by chance though. Folk saying they were on par with Dundee and the like are at it. They were far better organised than any other team in the league.

 

Based on the last couple of pages, I disagree strongly here.

 

Rodgers blew the £40M Champions League money by failing to beat a team, 311th in the UEFA club rankings, a complete shitshow by the manager, whichever way you try to dress it up.

We can blame the Board for a lot, but Kairat is Rodger's responsibility. His decision making and team selections in both games were off the chart imo.