THAT OLD CHESTNUT - “they never come back” is mostly, in a sporting context, quoted in respect of Heavyweight Boxing. OK, there will always be an Ali who can shatter convention at will, but, in the 150 years or so history of boxing as a sport with recognised rules – thank you Marquis of Queensbury - the man who had possession of the Heavyweight Title – was the monarch of all he surveyed, and like an absolute monarch, when he was beaten, it was a case of: the King is dead – long live the King.
Today, we've got unpteen different Pretenders to the several versions of the throne, even if, as I write, we do have one guy – Oleksandr Usyk - seen as being worthy of Tina Turner's anthem. As Tyson Fury has shown of late, they keep trying, but only the very-best can defy convention.
In Football terms, in oor ain wee, backward kailyard, whichever one of the Bigot Brothers currently has bragging rights, well, that club has the aura of a Heavyweight Champion – even if, in the wider world of European Football, both are more-likely at present to be contenders for a place on a 21st century version of old Joe Louis's “Bum of the Month” money-making scheme.
That's the problem oor kailyard bullies have; being simply the best in Scotland is no longer enough for their entitled fan base – they now crave respect and success in Europe and the problem is – whilst, domestically they might be Tesco and Asda, dominating a landscape where their competition comprises 40 slightly-different versions of Albert Arkwright's corner shop – in European competition one is Arkwright, the other Navid Harrid – and Arkwright had more chance with Nurse Gladys Emmanuel than the Bigot Brothers have in The Champions League.
Brendan Rodgers should never have come back. Following the haste with which he departed Celtic first time around, seduced by the promise of another crack at the riches in Englandshire, I always felt the Celtic Family should have listened to the wiser members of the group, who suggested recalling him would be a bad move. Although I have no affiliations towards the club, I felt at the time, it would all end in tears, but, as someone who cares deeply about Scottish Football, I take no pleasure in being proven correct.
Rodgers belongs to that modern breed of Manager, who are good at spending their bosses' money, but less good at building teams. Sadly, in Football right now, there are too-many such men and far too few capable of building a winning team over a number of years.
Maybe we are all at fault, share-holders, directors, fans – especially fans; demanding instant success. I often wonder, would a 21st century Alex Ferguson, who had enjoyed the success in Scotland that Fergie enjoyed in the early 1980s, be picked-up and dropped into the 2020s English Premiership and be allowed the time the 1980s Fergie was given to mould a consistently-winning side? I think not.
Brendan Rodgers had few worries on that score. Second time around he inherited a winning team, circumstances conspired in his favour in as much as the noisy neighbours were in turmoil, so domestic success was almost assured, but, the truth is, he failed where it mattered to his bosses – in Europe, and whether he was pushed or he jumped, that failure cost him what seemed as secure job as there is in the wacky world of present-day Football.
What might have happened to Celtic if the economic conditions of 2025 Football had been in existence in the second half of the 1960s – when Jock Stein was building his Lisbon Lions.
The big English clubs, plus one or two of the European giants would have been queued-up outside the front door at Celtic Park. Tommy Gemmell, Bobby Murdoch, Billy McNeill, Joe McBride and Bobby Lennox would certainly have been headed for Liverpool, London or Manchester. Jimmy Johnstone would be playing in Madrid while one or two Italian sides would have been looking at Bertie Auld. John Clark and Stevie Chalmers might well have gone elsewhere in England, while Stein would probably not have found it as easy to buy-in Willie Wallace.
Old Romantics like me might yearn for the days when Scottish clubs recruited and bred young Scottish players, but the truth is, today, it's such a short career and the money to be made, even as an uncapped tyro down South, makes that High Road to England – plus the good airline links to Europe - even more enticing that it was when old Dr Johnson came up with the line.
Kenny Dalglish was 26 when Celtic sold him. Bobby Collins was 27 when he went to Everton. Pat Crerand was 24 when he went to Manchester United, Lou Macari was the same age when he went to Old Trafford. I would suggst, 21st century versions of these players would have been enticed south at least five years sooner.
Legend tells us, the presence at what was then The Cliffe of the kids who would be immortalised as The Class of '92 was what kept Fergie going through the difficult early years. But, he is on record as saying, the plan was always to have a core group of home-grown players, to which he added class players in the positions where he felt he was short. Hence, with no top-flight goalkeeper in the Co92, Peter Schmeichel was recruited. Lack of quality in central defence brought in Jaap Stam, then Rio Ferdinand. Roy Keane and Eric Cantona brought star-dust – the trophies followed.
Stein was never shy of recruiting if he felt there was insufficient quality in the likes of The Quality Street Gang, but – the core group was always home-grown and members of the wider Celtic Family. Rodgers has never been that kind of Celtic Manager and it shows.
It has also been shown, by his post-parting broadside at Rodgers' back, Dermot Desmond fits the time-honoured Celtic habit of having a near all-powerful man at the top, running the club.
Celtic have shown, by their actions in recent months, they can be every bit as small-minded and petty as their pals across the city – banning any media outlet, even BBCShortbread, from a press conference, is never a good look.
Martin O'Neill will certainly stabilise the ship in the short term, but, he's now in his eighth decade and has been out of the battle zone for a number of years now. Celtic really need to get the right man in this time, or, who knows, the pendulum of primacy in Scottish club fitba could well swing back to the other side of Glasgow sooner than the Family would wish – and, swing back it will.
Still, as events move forward, this is a good time to be a Football Writer in Glasgow.
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