Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers made some intriguing observations after his side defeated Rangers last weekend to put one hand on the Scottish Premiership title.
The Bhoys know that one more point will secure the trophy, given their six-point advantage at the summit and superior goal difference.
Post-match, Rodgers hit out at some in media circles, saying he has been treated like a ‘novice’ manager since returning to Parkhead despite his vast experience in the game.
He stated: “On a personal level, I’ve been treated like a novice since I’ve come back here, like it’s my first job. However, my principal objective is to make sure Celtic win. Part of that is part of the criticism, I understand that.”
Earlier in the conversation, he also eluded to working almost 12 hours a day in his capacity as Celtic boss, arriving at Lennoxtown at 7.30 am and leaving between 6.30 pm and 7 pm before heading home to carry out more graft on occasion from the comfort of his own home.
Despite having the unenviable task of uniting a fractured support at Parkhead during the halfway point of the campaign, Rodgers has enacted a sea change at the club, with the Bhoys losing just once in their last two 22 domestic matches and still being in the running for two trophies.
Simon Jordan’s strange Brendan Rodgers comments narrative
Earlier today, live on talkSPORT, co-host Simon Jordan drew some fairly strange conclusions in response to Rodgers’ comments about being treated as a managerial novice.
In what turned into a lengthy series of points, the 56-year-old lambasted the job the Irishman had done at Leicester City previously alongside re-iterating that he has been a regular critic of the Celtic manager in the past, launching a strange tirade in response to Jim White pressing him on the subject.
He stated: “I don’t know what he means, I can’t qualify the reasons why he’d be giving that answer, I don’t know the questions he might have been responding to.
“I’ve been very critical of him because I think his performance at Leicester last year was appalling. I think he was lucky to get the Celtic job, and I think he only got it on legacy.
“He’s won the league now, and I don’t care about his working hours. We can all sit around for ten hours. That’s not difficult to do. Sitting around with your feet on a desk doesn’t necessarily mean you’re working particularly hard.
“I’m not questioning whether he works hard or not; he brought it up. He brought up his timekeeping and punctuality, what time he gets here, and what time he works.
“So what? I’m assuming most managers work hard. Are you not supposed to work hard when you’re a manager then? Is that what you’re not supposed to do, you certainly get paid enough to be working hard.”
Brendan Rodgers won’t entertain external criticism
Rodgers has already admitted this season has been the most challenging of his managerial career; however, he won’t let anyone take away from what he is set to achieve at Celtic this term or what he has done at other clubs, including his FA Cup exploits at Leicester City back in 2021.
Jordan’s bizarre rant serves no purpose other than to highlight why he was brought to Parkhead. His ‘legacy’ actually involves winning all seven domestic trophies available to him during his first spell in charge.
Although Celtic won’t claim every piece of silverware available to them this time, there is still a chance they could complete a domestic double, which would be deemed as a triumphant return from the Irishman.