It’s never easy playing in the pressure cooker of Celtic, whether you are a player or a manager.
You can go from hero to zero in next to no time, and vice versa, as many players and coaches have found out during their time in Glasgow over the years.
Nobody probably knows that better than the Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers, and his two stints in the colours of Scotland’s most successful club.
Rodgers did everything right in his first spell, winning Trebles for fun and slapping down Rangers time and time again.
But then, Rodgers left for Leicester City in 2019, and it’s fair to say that call didn’t go down well with the Celtic Park faithful.
That’s why the Northern Irishman’s return in 2023, after Ange Postecoglou left, was a very interesting one.
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty ImagesBrendan Rodgers’ return to Celtic
Let’s be honest, Rodgers’ return to Celtic divided opinion, because some couldn’t forgive him for how he left in the first place.
Gordon Dalziel shared on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, when discussing Rangers fans being disgruntled about Russell Martin’s appointment, that Rodgers went from zero to ‘hero’.
The huge difference here is that Rodgers was in the bad books of the Celtic fans for different reasons, not because of the quality of the coach he is, which is the gripe with Martin at Ibrox.
“How many times did we sit on this programme to call after call when Brendan Rodgers came back to Celtic,” said Dalziel.
“Celtic fans didn’t want him. Brendan Rodgers is a hero in the eyes of the Celtic fans. You have got to give him (Martin) an opportunity.
“Yes, he starts the season under a little bit more pressure than the usual Rangers manager. He has to hit the ground running, but he can turn this around (getting Rangers fans to back him). It’s simple. Win games. If you win games, then fans will support you.”
Rodgers’ record at Celtic from his second spell
What do you expect? It’s trophy after trophy being lined up.
Celtic are so dominant that missing out on a Treble this season is seen as a disappointment, because let’s be honest, that’s the expectation now.
Not because the fans have become ungrateful or unrealistic, but the fact that managers like Rodgers have lapped up the winner medals so much that the bar has been set.