Raising a glass to Brendan Rodgers and to Celtic blogger James Forrest | OneFootball

For weeks, the prevailing belief among the Celtic support was that Brendan Rodgers’ second spell as manager was heading towards a quiet conclusion…

His contract runs out at the end of the season, and with whispers of boardroom unrest, summer frustrations, and a sense of detachment from the club’s decision-makers, few expected the manager to remain beyond the current campaign.

Brendan Rodgers applauds the fans prior to the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round First Leg match between Celtic and Kairat Almaty at Celtic Park on August 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

But yesterday’s press conference changed everything.

Rodgers arrived not as a man beaten down by politics and internal briefings, but as one reinvigorated, brimming with energy and determination. His words carried both defiance and optimism, and his tone revealed a shift in the landscape behind the scenes. This was not the weary, frustrated figure who spoke of “feeling empty” after the transfer window. This was a manager who looked, and sounded, like someone who has emerged from a bruising internal battle stronger than before.

When asked about his future, Rodgers was careful but clear. He reiterated his desire to remain at Celtic beyond his current three-year contract, stressing –

“I would love to stay here longer. I’ve had informal chats with Dermot Desmond and Michael Nicholson, but I haven’t had an offer yet to think over. Until that comes, I’m not going to be arrogant to say yes. The club might not want me. Until there’s something serious on a piece of paper, I’ll just continue to do my best.”

That statement left the door wide open for a new deal, while firmly placing the onus on the club to create the right environment. Rodgers made clear that he is not clinging to the job. Instead, he is demanding alignment and the freedom to operate.

Brendan Rodgers manager of Celtic meets fans before the game Cork City v Celtic, Pre Season Friendly, Football, SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork, Ireland – 0 Jul 2025Cork SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh Ireland Photo Lorraine O’Sullivan Shutterstock

Pressed on whether he would still stay after the frustrations of the summer, Rodgers was unequivocal.

“Yeah, 100%. As long as everything’s aligned and we can operate how we want to. Absolutely. That’s why I came back. I came back to hopefully stay for more than three years. What I would guarantee is that I would do three years. So I want to do three years and I’m more determined this year to do it.”

This was not the language of a manager itching to leave. It was the language of a manager willing to fight on, provided he is given the tools to do the job.

“Going forward, if I do get offered a deal, then of course there needs to be conditions within that that we want to be the best that we possibly can. If not, then it’s maybe just the two philosophies that don’t quite add up. And I also accept that, but I’ll go away, I’ll be a Celtic supporter for the rest of my life, and we’ll go our separate ways.”

Perhaps the most telling part of Rodgers’ performance was the subtle but unmistakable sense that something significant has changed at boardroom level. Just weeks ago, rumours of a rift with dominant shareholder Dermot Desmond were widespread, compounded by a tabloid hit-piece that portrayed Rodgers as a man out of step with the club’s philosophy. The leak was widely believed to have come from within the boardroom, an attempt to paint the manager as the problem rather than the process.

Michael Nicholson, Chief Executive of Celtic FC looks on from the stands prior to the William Hill Premiership match between Celtic FC and St Mirren FC at Celtic Park on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Yesterday, however, Rodgers name-checked Desmond, CEO Michael Nicholson, and CFO Chris McKay with what seemed precision. The message perhaps that the key power brokers at Celtic are now engaged and, crucially, back in dialogue with their manager. Far from being isolated, Rodgers now appears to have Desmond, the most influential figure at the club, once again in his corner.

It also suggests that Rodgers sees at least the possibility of a working relationship with Nicholson and McKay. He may not yet be fully sold on their respective strengths, but if their path to greater autonomy can be cleared, the foundations for a constructive partnership are there. The manager appears willing to give that a chance, provided a substantial influence, perhaps one that has long been rumoured to have interfered in the footballing process, is removed.

There is, of course, a large obstacle in the boardroom, but there are also others who have quietly enabled the tactics used against him. Some of them are non-executive directors who have sat for well over nine years, far beyond what corporate governance best practice recommends. Addressing that would be an easy and symbolic win for a club in need of modernisation.

Dermot Desmond next to Michael Nicholson in Munich’s Allianz Arena on Tuesday night, image via Celtic Curio

Interestingly, as supporter unrest has grown louder, parts of the fan media have chosen a curious path. Some sites, previously seen as influential and trusted, have remained quiet during the biggest fan revolt since the days of the Kellys and Whites. Their silence is striking, but not total. Perhaps it’s just lazy journalism? While avoiding meaningful coverage of the growing challenge to the board, one outlet allowed its platform to host a series of personal attacks on well-known blogger, James Forrest (The Celtic Blog), who took the opposite, pro-ambition side of the argument. It was a move that revealed awareness of the groundswell of supporter anger, but not the courage to confront it head-on. Perhaps they felt Invincible. Perhaps, after yesterday’s press conference, they needed a stiff drink.

And yet, the silence may speak louder than the sniping. If a key figure behind the scenes wished to shape the narrative while maintaining a layer of plausible deniability, then a platform with longstanding connections to the boardroom could quietly serve as the intermediary, guiding messages toward wider circulation without ever appearing to do so directly. By staying largely silent on the unfolding unrest, such a conduit can subtly influence the conversation, signalling where loyalties lie.

The strategy becomes even more pointed when the blogger targeted for abuse has suggested that this very public turmoil traces back to an earlier internal dispute, one where long-standing personal connections and nepotistic ties were said to have collided with the manager’s authority.

In that context, the combination of outward neutrality and unchecked personal attacks reads less like coincidence and more like carefully orchestrated manoeuvring.

This comes as fans grow increasingly vocal in their demand for boardroom change, criticising a cautious recruitment strategy and a corporate approach that prioritises financial safety over footballing ambition. Rodgers, by aligning his own ambitions with those of the supporters, has effectively positioned himself as the fans’ champion inside the club.

Rodgers’ comments were more than just a plea for patience. They were a challenge, and a warning.

“My hope was to come back here, take the club forward, we’ve seen progress, we’ve seen Europe, we’ve seen everything, can we sustain that? It hasn’t quite happened for us in the Champions League. I’m hopeful in the future something can be resolved.”

He made it clear that if the environment does not change, if the obstacles within the strategy remains, he will walk away at the end of his contract. But equally, he signalled that with the right backing, he is ready to sign on for a longer-term project and take Celtic to the next level.

Dermot Desmond (L) and Chief Executive of Celtic Peter Lawwell look on prior to the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 first leg match between Celtic FC and FC Internazionale Milano at Celtic Park Stadium on February 19, 2015. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

For Dermot Desmond, a choice may be emerging. He can either back his manager and remove the internal resistance to Rodgers’ ambition, or risk losing a proven winner who has the support of the fanbase. And this is no longer just about one figurehead.

Celtic’s governance practices themselves are under the microscope. Non-executive directors who have sat for a decade or more, well beyond best-practice limits recommended for listed companies, symbolise the inertia that has allowed a risk-averse strategy to masquerade as ambition. Term limits, fresh thinking, and a modernised boardroom are not radical demands, they are basic steps for a club of Celtic’s stature.

Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 3 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace, IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)

Brendan Rodgers looked yesterday like a man who had fought a battle, suffered wounds, but emerged stronger, even victorious. His words were those of a manager who sees a path to staying at Celtic, provided the blockages to progress are swept aside. If he looked like a man who has taken a few blows he could have reflected on that by saying, you should see the other guy. The coward. Rodgers didn’t start this fight but he looks like he’s got the appetite to finish it.

His message to Dermot Desmond and the Celtic board could not have been clearer, and it matches the groundswell of supporter revolt. Change or be changed.

The next move, it would seem, belongs to Dermot Desmond.

And a glass raised tonight too to James Forrest at The Celtic Blog for stepping aside from disgraceful personal attacks – rich men know best apparently – to make the case in the increasingly isolated and these days the most hostile of Celtic environments for those with any ambition for Celtic to be the best version of itself. The choice of liquor is still under consideration, maybe I’ll open that bottle of Invincible gin in the cupboard I’ve had since Brendan achieved what no other manager in Scottish football has ever done in his very first season at the club.

We’ll hear what the travelling support makes of Brendan Rodgers tomorrow after 3.12pm. Maybe we’ll even hear one of his old songs being chanted. That’s long overdue.

So here’s to James Forrest! And to Brendan Rodgers, Scotland’s one and only Invincible manager!

Salut!

Niall J

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