These are compelling times for a compelling character. January has witnessed Brendan Rodgers jousting with his own supporter base, fall victim to an ultra-rare Old Firm defeat and guide his team to the playoff round of the Champions League. The argument was entertaining, the loss at Ibrox totally unimportant, and Celtic’s manager will return to the Midlands on Wednesday night having achieved a stated goal – making material headway in Europe. Substance over style.
Timing is everything. Rodgers has done this just as Ange Postecoglou flounders badly at Tottenham in a blow to those at Celtic desperately clinging to the Australian’s supposedly transferable skills. Rodgers and Postecoglou are fundamentally different in umpteen senses, one being that the Irishman has an emotional attachment to Celtic. Without that, the Scottish champions could not attract a coach of his standing or ambition. A persistent question surrounds how long that connection can sustain Rodgers in a domestic scene which should not excite him beyond a contract term that ends in the summer of 2026. In that context, the Champions League is hugely significant.
