THERE were emotional scenes at Ibrox following Rangers’ final cinch Premiership game of the season against Hearts last month as Allan McGregor hung up his gloves.
Fans stood as one to applaud a man who many knowledgeable judges believe to be the Glasgow club’s finest goalkeeper ever and more than a few tears were shed.
The praise which rained down from the stands was far removed from the abuse which was aimed in his direction back in 2012 when he refused to have his contract transferred from the oldco to the newco and departed Govan as a free agent.
Jumping ship in Rangers’ hour of need did not, to put it mildly, go down well.
The way that McGregor was subsequently welcomed back and the send-off which he received shows that football supporters can be, despite their volatile and at times irrational nature, prepared to forgive and forget in the fullness of time.
So Brendan Rodgers, who is set to be unveiled as the new Celtic manager little over four years after he became persona non grata at Parkhead by joining Leicester City before the end of the 2018/19 season, can certainly win around previously hostile fans in the months ahead.
Many of them have already revised their opinion of the Irishman, who was branded a “rat” and a “snake” when he became the first manager in their entire history to leave during a title-winning campaign, since it emerged he was being lined up to replace Ange Postecoglou.
But others need to be convinced. A fair few are furious and are likely to remain so regardless of what happens going forward. Rodgers has, no doubt about it, work to do.
So how can the 50-year-old, who was sacked by Leicester back in April with the King Power Stadium outfit heading for Premier League relegation, restore his reputation? Here are five things he must do to redeem himself.
BEAT RANGERS
The high esteem which the man from Carnlough was held in around the East End of Glasgow before he legged it for Leicester owed much to the unprecedented domestic success which he oversaw.
The team he assembled after taking over went undefeated in his debut season, completed a treble and was dubbed The Invincibles. They retained all three domestic trophies the following term. In the process, they dished out some absolute skelpings to Rangers.
The Ibrox club are, despite finishing the 2022/23 campaign trophyless, far stronger now than they were back then. Michael Beale has embarked on a squad rebuild and has brought in Todd Cantwell, Nico Raskin, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell and Jack Butland to date. They are an upgrade on Rob Kiernan, Joe Garner and Josh Windass.
Can Rodgers maintain Celtic’s dominance on the home front after a record-breaking 10 months despite the stiffer competition he is set to face? He will have to. Anything less than a clean sweep of silverware will be regarded as a failure.
DELIVER EUROPEAN SUCCESS
Rodgers had, contrary to popular opinion, his moments in Europe. He led Celtic back into the Champions League group stages after a three year absence shortly after replacing Ronny Deila. His men then recorded drew home and away draws with Manchester City. He took them back into the competition proper the following year and into the Europa League knockout rounds twice.
But there were some humiliations suffered against the continent’s elite due to his refusal to alter his attacking playing style. The Scottish champions were hammered 7-0 away - a record European defeat - by Barcelona and 5-0 at home and 7-1 away by Paris Saint-Germain.
Can he do better this time around? He oversaw wins over Braga, AEK Athens, Legia Warsaw, Spartak Moscow, Rennes and PSV Eindhoven at Leicester and reached the semi-final of the Conference League last season. It is to be hoped, for his sake, that he has learned from those experiences. Celtic fans long for European success.
SIGN WELL
Rodgers brought in many players who shone at Celtic and more than justified the outlay which it took to secure their services; Moussa Dembele, Scott Sinclair, Olivier Ntcham and Odsonne Edouard all performed well for him.
But there were some poor acquisitions as well. Marvin Compper, Jack Hendry, Charly Musonda, Eboue Kouassi and Vakoun Bayo, to name just a handful, all failed to make significant contributions and departed.
Perhaps the changes which have been made to the recruitment department will help him on that front. Postecoglou got far more right than wrong in the transfer market during his two years in charge. He was responsible for identifying many of those who arrived. But head of scouting Mark Lawwell must take much of the credit as well.
BUY INTO THE BUSINESS MODEL
Rodgers’ frustration at the sale of key men, the budget available to him and the quality of player he was bringing in was an open secret towards the end of his first tenure.
His initial refusal to sanction the £20m sale of Dembele to Lyon at the start of the third season told a story. It was no great surprise to those who had dealt with him on a daily basis when he departed. It was clear he longed for the riches of the Premier League.
So what has changed? Celtic perhaps have more money to spend now than they did back then. Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has doubtless given him assurances about the funds he will have to strengthen.
But he will still need to develop project players, something which he excels at, and then watch them be sold on for a profit. He will have to accept the limitations of his role this time around.
REMAIN LOYAL
The former Watford, Reading, Swansea City and Liverpool manager has, despite the wretched season that Leicester have just endured, been linked with some big jobs in England in recent months. He was even being tipped to take over at Chelsea at one stage.
If he does do well at Celtic there is sure to be speculation about him and the vacancies which will arise down south and further afield. He needs to show that he is completely committed to the Parkhead club’s cause to keep supporters onside.
