We go again, as a former Rangers manager might put it. Scotland’s Premiership kicks off across the weekend with a curious mixture of excitement and ennui.
Here is a country still utterly absorbed by the game yet this is season 40 since a club outside Celtic and Rangers were champions – Aberdeen, managed by a man called Ferguson.
The Glasgow duopoly is numbing for many, lucrative for some, though whether it can still be referred to as two-sided is in question given Celtic have won 12 of the last 13 titles. With Rangers in apparent disarray before a ball is booted, Celtic are odds-on to make that 13 in 14.
Within the delight at their ongoing parochial domination – not to be underestimated – Celtic fans worry this will be another season when they fall short in Europe. Domestically Celtic can equal Rangers’ total of 55 Scottish titles next May, a feat that would spark an outbreak of merchandising and immediately gallop on to demands for “the 56″. But it is 20 years since Celtic last won a later-stage knockout tie in Europe.
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The rhythm of so many Celtic seasons has been one of nervous anticipation followed by European disappointment, January angst, then domestic fulfilment.
That has been enough for some, the club’s accounts are hearty and in June Celtic announced that all season tickets for 2024-25 had sold out. Even when unrequited, Hooped love rarely wanes.
Yet undoubtedly last season was a test. It climaxed with Celtic eight points ahead of Rangers and 25 clear of third-placed Hearts, plus there was a sunny Scottish Cup final triumph over Rangers – Adam Idah’s 90th minute winner. So May 2024 was green and it was good.
The preceding nine months? Well, they contained downs as well as ups and there were certainly moments when Celtic frayed. Supporter disenchantment at the institution’s perceived stasis was both audible and inaudible, angry and apathetic. The Green Brigade were banned for their political stance, there was a 6-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid, the first Cup-tie of the season at Kilmarnock was lost, Hearts won 2-0 at Parkhead in December and 2-0 at Tynecastle in March, Rangers went top in February. Celtic fans were underwhelmed and unsure.
In the midst of this was Brendan Rodgers, second time around. His opposite number at Ibrox, Philippe Clement, had said Rangers’ improvement post-Michael Beale was down to his players not being “islands” any more; whereas there were times when Rodgers looked, and may have felt, like an island in the torrent of Celtic’s daily discourse.
Time in football is a concept. It makes Jimmy Johnstone look straightforward. If we rewind to June of last year – just 14 months ago – Ange Postecoglou was leading Celtic out at Hampden Park for the Scottish Cup final against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Celtic won, of course they did, and Postecoglou had overseen a treble.
It was Postecoglou’s fifth trophy in two seasons, but it was more than that. The Australian’s demeanour and his coached playing style were, as BBC Scotland put it, “a real breath of fresh air – everything about him.” Four days later Postecoglou was gone to Tottenham, England, the Premier League.
Thirteen days after that Brendan was back. Rodgers had been out of work since April, Leicester City framing his departure as a mutual decision. He had led them to an FA Cup win and to the semi-final of the Europa Conference League, but Leicester had dipped and the Rodgers of 2023 turning up in Glasgow was not viewed by the Celtic fan base in the same way as Rodgers 2016. Then Rodgers was hailed as an Antrim Celt; now Rodgers was met by the reappearance of the Green Brigade’s banner when he departed in 2019: “Never a Celt. Always a fraud.”
Even those with thick skin will feel that.
The reception had changed and so had the circumstances: in 2016 Rodgers was following Ronny Deila and a season in which Celtic had finished top of a Premiership still lacking restructured Rangers. In Europe Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by Malmo and then finished bottom of their Europa League group. When they did face Rangers, in the Scottish Cup semi-final, they lost on penalties.
So it was not Jock Stein Rodgers was following eight years ago.
But last June (though it feels much longer ago), Rodgers was succeeding a success. Even a Scottish linesman could see Postecoglou’s impact. And because of the abrupt nature of Rodgers’ departure to Leicester, England, the Premier League in 2019, that “never a Celt” scepticism was in the air. Hence he declared: “I signed for three years and I guarantee I will be here for three years.” It was something he clearly thought required saying.
But how could Rodgers improve upon a treble? Only by progressing in Europe. It did not happen, and while there are valid points to be made such as Celtic being down to 10 men in Madrid after 23 minutes, that they drew 2-2 with Atletico at Parkhead before that and then defeated Feyenoord there, ultimately there was a second consecutive fourth place group finish. And another pre-Christmas European elimination.
It was around then pundit Chris Sutton said Rodgers and his team were “going through the motions”. Coming from a former Celtic striker this will have stung as will the February furore over Rodgers’ “good girl” post-match comment to a TV interviewer.
After that Celtic lost one of 15 matches to end the season with their flourish and if Rodgers feels re-bedded at Parkhead perhaps that has been seen in pre-season victories in the United States over Manchester City and Chelsea. Kasper Schmeichel, Rodgers’ goalkeeper at Leicester, has replaced Joe Hart and Paulo Bernardo’s transfer from Benfica has gone from loan to permanent. Idah’s situation remains uncertain, but he may, like Bernardo, go from loan to permanent.
That should be enough to keep Celtic well ahead of Rangers, who again appear economically fragile and who will play home games at Hampden Park until September at least due to delayed construction work at Ibrox. Rodgers, whose record against Rangers reads P18 W14 L1, will not be shivering over a blue revival.
And Europe? Celtic’s guaranteed place in the expanded Champions League format means extra income, exposure and more chances to win. It sounds enticing.
But Rodgers knows he needs more and better players for it to be made real. Get them and Rodgers – and the club – could think about carving out a different role for Celtic. If not, all can still set eyes on a domestic Treble, beginning at home to Kilmarnock on Sunday. Excitement, ennui. They go again.
