{"id":443443,"date":"2026-02-24T18:56:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/443443\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T18:56:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:56:11","slug":"brendan-rodgers-can-tell-celtic-i-told-you-so-and-theres-two-things-club-chiefs-must-do-to-repair-damage-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/443443\/","title":{"rendered":"Brendan Rodgers can tell Celtic I told you so and there&#8217;s two things club chiefs must do to repair damage now"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The season is in danger of turning into a shambles and board can&#8217;t say they weren&#8217;t warned by the man who saw it coming<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"dailyrecord\" data-testid=\"premium-byline-dailyrecord\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/assets\/dailyrecord\/images\/premium-byline-dailyrecord.svg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>12:00, 24 Feb 2026Updated 15:48, 24 Feb 2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Brendan Rodgers is now in charge of Saudi team Al Qadsiah\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_rodgersjpeg.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Brendan Rodgers is now in charge of Saudi team Al Qadsiah\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Brendan Rodgers is now in charge of Saudi team Al Qadsiah<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Blunt. Careless. Wasteful. Call it what you will.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/celtic-fc\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Celtic\u2019s<\/a> lack of killer instinct has sabotaged their season. Just like <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/brendan-rodgers\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Brendan Rodgers<\/a> warned it would.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Hoops have been spoiled with goalscoring hitmen down the years. Gary Hooper, Leigh Griffiths, Moussa Dembele, Odsonne Edouard, Giorgos Giakoumakis, <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/kyogo-furuhashi\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Kyogo<\/a>&#8230; the list is endless.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">There was always a prolific marksman Celtic could rely on to fire them to glory. Now? Their &#8216;top-scoring&#8217; striker can\u2019t even get into the matchday squad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/all-about\/Kelechi-Iheanacho\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Kelechi Iheanacho<\/a> &#8211; a panic free transfer after the summer window had closed &#8211; has just three goals to his name this term. Not just in the Premiership. Across ALL competitions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He hasn\u2019t scored since October 5. And he is still Celtic\u2019s top-scoring recognised centre-forward at the club. That statistic alone tells you everything about the state of this squad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Injury setbacks have limited the Nigerian to 13 appearances, but even since returning in January the 29-year-old looks well off the pace. He made a fleeting cameo in the 4-1 mauling by Stuttgart and then was nowhere to be seen as Celtic crashed to defeat against Hibs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Iheanacho&#8217;s signing was the sticking plaster for a gaping wound of the club\u2019s own making and has become the latest example in a recruitment strategy that has unravelled spectacularly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">And the solution to a misfiring frontline to spark life into Celtic&#8217;s faltering campaign? Two January loan gambles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">To his credit, Tomas Cvancara has chipped in with assists against Hearts and Kilmarnock. But one goal in seven outings hardly screams title-winning catalyst &#8211; not in the way Adam Idah once did.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Kelechi Iheanacho\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771959370_958_0_Celtic-FC-Media-Access.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Kelechi Iheanacho\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Kelechi Iheanacho(Image: SNS Group)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">His recent record tells its own story. Two goals last season. Four the year before. Celtic gambled on early promise shown at Sparta Prague in 2021 but the harsh reality is, Cvancara isn&#8217;t the answer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The same goes for Junior Adamu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Austria international arrived on deadline from SC Freiburg and offered a flicker of hope with that last-gasp leveller against Dundee. But since being hooked at half-time on his first start at Rugby Park, Adamu has been an unused sub.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mind you, at least the former RB Salzburg is even making it on the bench. Joel Mvuka has been completely bombed out since his own 45-minute debut earlier this month. To think Celts almost blew \u00a34million on the Norwegian winger before re-negotiating a loan deal in the dying hours&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Paul Tisdale, rightly, paid the price for two disastrous transfer windows and a baffling managerial appointment in Wilfried Nancy. But the rot runs far deeper than any one scapegoat.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Celtic's Junior Adamu in action \" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_JS396624961.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Celtic's Junior Adamu in action \" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Celtic&#8217;s Junior Adamu in action <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">This is a club adrift &#8211; dysfunctional from top to bottom. Reckless decision-making. Players past their sell-by date or simply not up to standard. Seven league defeats before March. An interim manager. An interim chairman. No head of football operations. A fanbase torn apart by civil war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">And while the carnage rages in Glasgow, the man who raised concerns about direction and recruitment is now 4,000 miles away in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">That should be the clearest lesson for an under-fire board. The blame for this shambolic season lies squarely at their feet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Instead of launching a flamethrower at the most successful living manager in the club\u2019s history, deflecting supporters\u2019 anger and dragging their heels over the tiresome Green Brigade saga, the Celtic hierarchy should do two things.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Listen and take full responsibility.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Because had they actually bought into an elite manager like Rodgers&#8217; vision, all of this could&#8217;ve been avoided.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">If, however, Dermot Desmond is still adamant that the club&#8217;s model and structure works, then it really begs the question &#8211; where do Celtic go from here?<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google\u2019s preferred sources. Click <a aria-label=\"HERELink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyrecord.co.uk\/news\/scottish-news\/more-daily-record-exclusives-signing-36421026\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">HERE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The season is in danger of turning into a shambles and board can&#8217;t say they weren&#8217;t warned by&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":443444,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[7336,2817,218,112151,151473,55591,161193,8934,8058,11728,101,145100,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-443443","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-brendan-rodgers","9":"tag-celtic-fc","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-gary-hooper","12":"tag-junior-adamu","13":"tag-kelechi-iheanacho","14":"tag-leigh-griffiths","15":"tag-premium","16":"tag-scottish-premiership","17":"tag-scottish-professional-football-league","18":"tag-sports","19":"tag-tomas-cvancara","20":"tag-uk","21":"tag-united-kingdom","22":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/443444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}