The prodigal son returns
Brendan is back and all is seemingly forgiven by the Celtic Park faithful.
The apparent treachery of four years ago will be forgotten if the trebles keep on coming and Rangers remain in the runner up spot.
Let’s be honest, Mr. Rodgers will win everything next season unless Rangers can somehow unlock major investment from somewhere.
I’ve said all along, the toughest job at Ibrox belongs to the Chairman, John Bennet and CEO, James Bisgrove trying to fund a young inexperienced manager’s plans to build a side capable of wrestling the title away from Celtic.
What is going to happen between now and Friday’s unveiling of Brendan’s return is all about Celtic’s spin doctors putting out the word that the manager has millions to spend for the club’s assault on Europe.
This will hopefully win over or at least buy the dissenting fans loyalty short term.
I firmly believe Brendan Rodgers’ side will win the treble next season. If they don’t, it will be down to a one-off catastrophe because no one is going to stop them winning the league.
What you have to remember is this time around Brendan is inheriting a really good side.
When he arrived for his first stint after the Ronny Deila debacle, the team was in dire need of surgery and some players had to be revitalised after Ronny’s training regime left them far from fully fit.
All Brendan has to do is try and recruit a higher level of player to try and get them out of their Champions League group in to at least a knockout phase game.
That would be progress. Maybe even a longer run in the Europa League, if they are forced to drop down a level would be acceptable.
Make no mistake, the managers remit this time is European progress, not domestic dominance.
Ruling the roost at home is expected, the tricky bit is engineering the one thing he wasn’t able to build in his first period as manager, a half decent team in UEFA competitions.
I’d love to be there at this week’s press conference to watch a performance that should rival anything Tom Cruise could come up with in a movie sequel.
There will be an act of contrition for declaring his love for the club before heading south for the millions on offer in the Premier League with Leicester City.
Why he left his first love for a fling with the foxes will be beautifully explained before one of the Celtic fanzine bhoys stands up and shouts “Brendan, you had me at hello!”
The more cynical and smarter Celtic fan will demand no more badge kissing or long chats about the history of the club he supported as a boy.
Get stuck in, build on the team Ange Postecoglou left behind and make it better.
High press, high intensity and winning in Europe. Good performances over ninety minutes, not sixty and victories is what they want.
Celtic, if they are to be believed at boardroom level, have the financial clout to get the club to the latter stages of the Europa League or Conference League.
The fans want a European trophy, and in my mind, they have a manager in place more than capable of doing something if he is backed with hard cash and a recruitment department working hard to get the players in to do the job.
They say you should never go back, but Billy McNeill managed to do it with success and Neil Lennon also did it in Celtic’s hour of need.
Some Celtic fans have short memories, I thought I would remind a few of them of what happened at the end of Brendan’s first stint in my Tweet last week.
Any idea who came to the rescue when Brendan left?
If you can forgive Brendan Rogers and welcome him back with open arms on Friday, spare a thought for what Neil Lennon did for his first love when others jumped ship.
Lennon should be given a standing ovation the next time he sets foot in Celtic park for coming back to his first love and saving the day.
As for Brendan Rodgers, Celtic have a top manager to replace Ange, but can he do what the fans crave this time around?
If he can, the prodigal son will truly be forgiven by the apparent love of his life.
