It’s imperative Dermot Desmond gets clarity on Brendan Rodgers’ future this summer | OneFootball

With the football season now over after Saturday’s Champions League Final, one of the things that has been keeping me entertained recently is the great expectations emanating from our bitterest rivals regarding their next managerial appointment…

Russell Martin, Manager of Southampton, reacts during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Southampton FC at Villa Park on December 07, 2024 (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

These expectations have, as they usually do, become utterly delusional at times as they bask in a fantasy world created inside their heads that the ’49ers’ are here to elevate their club to heights never seen before in their 13 year history.

We heard all sorts of names being batted around. Mourinho. Ancelotti….

We have heard all sorts of names being batted around. Mourinho. Ancelotti. Only the big names in football will suffice. Unfortunately for them it’s instead Russell Martin. Quite the comedown for many I imagine. Anyway, as enjoyable as it would be to spend more time laughing at these ‘Peepel’, there are more important Celtic related matters on my mind, and all this talk of new managers is what has got me thinking about our own managerial situation.

Telling us you were 100% committed would have been enough, Brendan

Many will be thinking I’m a bit premature on this front as Brendan Rodgers has recently upped his chances of being here next season from 150% to 200% (telling us you were 100% committed would have been enough by the way Brendan), and I have no doubt that he will stand by those words. After the reaction he received when he absconded last time I doubt he would have the stomach to go through all that with the Celtic fans again.

So we know then that Brendan Rodgers will be at the helm next season, which is much needed as continuity is vital if we are to quell our city rivals who will most likely take a while to adapt to a whole new set-up within their new club.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers arrives prior to the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and Hibernian FC at Celtic Park on May 10, 2025 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The problem for me is that we need to know what Brendan’s plans are beyond next season

The problem for me is that we need to know what Brendan’s plans are beyond next season, and we need to have that answer this summer. There has been much reported regarding our manager’s meeting with Dermot Desmond, where I’m sure he’ll get a jist of what his budget will look like for the upcoming transfer window.

This is all well and good but during this meeting Desmond should be using the time to get a firm decision from Rodgers regarding his intentions moving forward. Offer him an extended contract and see what he is thinking. More importantly get him to make a decision one way or another.

Brendan Rodgers. Dundee United v Celtic, 26 April 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

I’m still a big fan of Rodgers and would be absolutely delighted if he extended his contract

Personally I’m still a big fan of Rodgers and would be absolutely delighted if he extended his contract. I actually struggle to understand some of our fans who wouldn’t care less if Rodgers left at the end of next season, in fact a few are even calling for him to leave this summer.

I genuinely can’t fathom why they would want him gone. Yes we failed to win the Scottish Cup against a poor Aberdeen side. Yes we lost a couple of games against theRangers in the latter half of the season.

Things definitely regressed after we exited the Champions League

Apart from that however last season was pretty impressive overall. We were scintillating for much of the season. We did better than expected in Europe. Some of those performances in Europe were the best I’ve seen from Celtic in a long time. Things definitely regressed after we exited the Champions League but that was mainly due to the fact we were absolutely cruising in the league due to our hard work earlier in the campaign. We also had a lot more injuries in the second half of the season too.

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 Dermot Desmond and Thorbjorn Olesen DEN winners of the team event receiving there silver salvour from Peter Dawson Alfred Dunhill Links Trust after the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 on the Old Course at St. Andrews Golf CLub, Fife, Scotland. 06/10/2024. Picture Fran Caffrey / Golffile.ie

The future of Rodgers needs cleared up as soon as possible

Back to my original point however, the future of Rodgers needs cleared up as soon as possible. If he is to tell Desmond that he won’t extend his contract then Celtic must move quickly and start the process by drawing up a list of contenders. Obviously that list may change but they need an idea of the type of manager that is required and potentially put the feelers out regarding how interested they would be in the job. We got extremely lucky regarding Ange Postecoglou when the Eddie Howe affair hit the buffers, I wouldn’t like to bet on us being that lucky twice.

New manager Ange Postecoglou poses for a photo at Celtic Park Glasgow. Photo Jeff Holmes

If Celtic leave it too late not only will they have a new manager trying fend off a potentially stronger threat than we have had in previous years domestically, assuming theRangers have sorted themselves out by that stage, but they of course will have to deal with the dreaded European qualifiers again this time next year. If the new manager doesn’t hit the ground running our season could collapse pretty quickly.

Preferably if Rodgers is leaving we will have his replacement in situ in the days following his departure.

Preferably if Rodgers is leaving we will have his replacement in situ in the days following his departure. He will need time to get to know the squad, assess who he wants to keep and who is surplus to requirements. He will need time to bring in his own players and to also work with the squad and implement the style of play he wants. This all takes time as we know from both Postecoglou and Rodgers reigns.

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, celebrates with players next to the Premier Sports Cup following 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)

As mentioned my preference would be to get Brendan Rodgers tied down to a new contract but if he’s hesitant then we need to set the wheels in motion as soon as possible regarding getting the best replacement available lined up.

Otherwise we could end up with our own Russell Martin at the helm and the joke will be on us.

Conall McGinty

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