Brendan Rodgers has taken Celtic supporters on an exciting European journey this season with the Scottish champions running Bayern Munich so close in their knockout clash for a place in the last sixteen of the Champions League. The Celtic manager is out of contract at the end of next season and most supporters are wondering if he will extend his stay in Glasgow.
Brendan Rodgers: Will He Extend Celtic Contract
When Ange Postecoglu left Celtic for the lure of the English Premier League, the re-appointment of Brendan Rodgers was not received well by every Celtic supporter. His abrupt departure to Leicester City four years previously when the club was on the brink of yet another treble was met with fury by some fans: “You traded immortality for mediocrity, never a Celt always a fraud” was the very blunt message of their displeasure.
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Last season it’s fair to say that Rangers ran Celtic close for the title. While the football wasn’t always in the style of Postecoglu, Rodgers succeeded in leading his team to a league and cup double. But European football was uneventful.
Celtic Streets Ahead Domestically
This season it’s all changed. Celtic are streets ahead at the top of the table with Rangers nowhere near being able to compete and it’s just a matter of time before the title is won again. The League Cup is already in the bag and Celtic have a home tie in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup meaning another treble may well be delivered.
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Undoubtedly, the biggest change for this term has been the excitement of the Champions League with Celtic competing with Europe’s elite and in the knockout phase, going head-to-head with Bayern Munich, one of the favourites to lift the trophy. Most Hoops supporters I speak to see this as the stage where they should be measured.
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Can Celtic get away from continually being one step ahead of Rangers and see themselves competing with Europe’s best? Anyone taking a step back would recognise the problem in Celtic trying to compete seriously at this level. The Scottish champions have nowhere near the budget or resources of the German giants in much the same way that Motherwell or Kilmarnock cannot seriously compete with Celtic on the domestic stage. But they were so close to having another thirty minutes of extra time in Munich to record one of the finest wins away from home.
Celtic New Found Credibility in Europe
No one found it easy to play against Rodgers’ side in Europe this season – except Borussia Dortmund. The Champions League finalists from last term put seven past a Celtic team who looked completely lost on the night. But the players learned a brutal lesson, recovered well and travelled to Atalanta for their next game and earned a point.
The win over RB Leipzig in Glasgow was very impressive and the highlight of the campaign against a very good side from the Bundesliga. When two goals down to Aston Villa after a few minutes, many thought another mauling was on the cards. But Adam Idah got the side level before eventually losing four-two. Celtic fans loved their team’s level of performance on this stage and crave more of the same.
Only Rodgers Has Convinced the Celtic Board to Spend Heavily
For lengthy periods during his second spell as manager, the manager has spoken of the need to get more quality in his starting eleven. At a certain point, he had had enough of project players. Now, in the immediate aftermath of the loss to Bayern Munich, Rodgers has spoken of the need to add more quality to his bench.
Every Celtic fan knows the question he is raising, is the club prepared to spend heavily again? I must admit, I did not think any Celtic manager would have had the go-ahead to spend £11 million on Arne Engels, £9 million on Adam Idah, £6 million on Auston Trusty, £3 million on Paulo Bernardo, £1 million on Luke McCowan and secure the return of the charismatic Portuguese winger Jota for £8.5 million.
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All previous Bhoys managers could only dream of this level of spend but clearly, one of the conditions of Rodgers’s return was to invest more heavily in players. In fairness, the club have bankrolled his wishes, and the results have shown he knows how to deliver on the European stage. This season, Celtic have been a credible force in Europe.
Will Celtic Enjoy More Success Under Rodgers?
The question now is, with his contract expiring at the end of next season, would the Celtic board allow Rodgers to spend a similar amount if he doesn’t extend his contract? If he serves his three years, that will mean he has completed six years in total in Glasgow and who knows, maybe that is enough for him. My guess is that if he wants to add even more quality he would need to commit to a longer spell at the club. Kieran Tierney is another who will arrive at the club in the summer and he brings added quality.
Talks should be taking place soon to see what Rodgers thinks of life beyond the end of next term. He’s a wealthy man and can choose to go elsewhere but I think he has served his time in English football with Liverpool and Swansea. Celtic gives him the chance to win trophies but more importantly, to try and compete with Europe’s elite. If he decides to extend his contract, there could be more memorable clashes for Celtic supporters like the one we’ve just witnessed with Bayern Munich.
