Celtic in free fall – We’re now seeing the worst version of Brendan Rodgers | OneFootball

Yesterday was an accident waiting to happen and it’s been a long time in the making. Our club is in turmoil, fans arguing amongst themselves, former players shouting at each other live on Sky Sports, a manager making team selections, not to put the best possible Celtic team on the park, but to double down on his own point…

Dane Murray at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

A board run by a backroom guy, an administrator at best but clearly no leader, a placement man to keep an old regime in power. He’s so far out his depth that it’s impossible not to have a little sympathy for him. The money’s good right enough.

The Celtic Board at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Brendan Rodgers picks the team and usually gets it right. I remember Ange Postecoglou talking about how the media and the supporters debate his team selections whilst only knowing 10% of the facts that he as the manager does. There are so many factors those on the outside just don’t know. And that’s why the manager is usually correct.

Callum McGregor shakes hands with Brendan Rodgers. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

However when his decisions are so clearly wrong, as clear as the nose on his face, then serious questions have to be asked. Brendan Rodgers never made it to Tynecastle as a Celtic supporter but he has been there plenty times as a manager. Enough to know that it’s no place for the rookies.

Auston Trusty. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

He had an Aston Martin, in big Trusty on his bench yesterday but didn’t play him because he wanted ‘balance’ with a right footed central defender coming in to replace Cameron Carter-Vickers. On The Celtic Star we called for Trusty and also for Anthony Ralston rather than young Colby Donovan. Why? Because we’ve been going to Tynecastle for decades, much longer than the Celtic manager and know what to expect.

Dane Murray OG at Tynecastle. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Dane Murray was spooked by the environment and sold the jerseys with a truly awful performance. It happened to big Willie Garner back in the early 1980s and he never recovered. To return to the automobile metaphors, Rodgers has thrown Dane Murray under the bus to prove his point. The boy might not recover from that, Gardner certainly never.

Willie Garner, Celtic Fc 1981.

This is no longer a razor sharp football manager capable operating at a level above anyone he’s faced in Scottish football. When we, as mere supporters, saw that team we knew that Donovan and Murray would be targeted by Derek McInnes – a manager who has perhaps been the best of the rest Rodgers has had to face during his two spells at Celtic.

As it turned out Dane Murray had the kind of afternoon you seldom see from a Celtic player, scoring an almost comical own goal, pulling a leg out of the way to facilitate a second and then within a minute gifting Hearts a penalty.

Yang sums up our day at Dens Park. Dundee v Celtic. 19 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Two of those incidents happened after the break. Last weekend at Dens Park Yang was substituted at the break after contributing nothing and missing a great chance and probably like many of you, I fully expected Trusty to replace Murray at the break. At that stage Celtic were level and should actually have been in front, if it wasn’t for the showboating of Benjamin Nygren who would be some player if he was actually anywhere near as good as he thinks he is.

READ THIS…Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Honeyball v Celtic

Benjamin Nygren. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Nygren was involved in the second Hearts goal but as a centre-half Dane Murray had no business pulling his leg out the way as presumably he thought it was going wide. Inexperience from a player who has shown nothing at all to suggest he was ready for such an intense, high stakes atmosphere. No chances should be taken, concede the corner and do your flaming job.

Brendan Rodgers now has to pick a team for Wednesday night’s match against Falkirk at Celtic Park and he also has to have one eye on the weekend with the Glasgow Derby match on Sunday against theRangers an absolutely huge challenge now for Celtic, even accounting for theRangers’ own woes this season. Are you confident? No, me neither.

Luke McCowan. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

On Wednesday night, Rodgers needs to go with experience at the back and that means Schmeichel behind a back four of Ralston, Trusty, Scales and Tierney. In midfield there’s no room for passengers so Callum McGregor should be joined by Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan – send a message to Hatate and Engels that there’s a price to pay for not turning up. Did you notice the images in Sandman’s ratings of Hearts trolling Hatate for his anonymous season to date? Here it is…

Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The front three, dear oh dear. I’d drop Nygren and start with James Forrest against Falkirk. Shin deserves his chance through the middle – Daizen will be back on Sunday – and the entertaining but ineffective Sebastian Tounekti gets my vote for the left despite his increasingly concerning lack of contributions in assists and goals.

Shin Yamada. Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

It’s not going to be easy against Falkirk and Celtic are under intense pressure with Hearts eight clear. Remember they have St Mirren away on Wednesday night then play Dundee at Tynecastle at the weekend so have a great chance to be at least 11 points clear of Celtic if they win these two matches.

And finally a word on Neil Lennon, who I recall calling out Stan Petrov and I think it was John Hartson for failing to back him during the Covid season. His attack of Chris Sutton and Brendan Rodgers on Sky Sports yesterday was disgraceful, made worse by his shameful partnership with Kris Boyd. For all his faults Neil, Brendan Rodgers is ten times the manager you ever were or will ever be.  Frankly, Dunfermline’s your level and I’m glad you’ve found it.

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Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books

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