Brendan Rodgers has sparked discussion over the past few days after hitting out at Celtic supporters following Sunday’s win over St. Mirren.
The manager came into the Parkhead media suite after the 3-0 victory with a bee in his bonnet and was visibly angry.
Rodgers initially criticised the home fans for getting restless when the team passed the ball backwards before highlighting how singing Kieran Tierney’s name was disrespectful to current left-back Greg Taylor.
The storm he created has continued into this week. The Irishman once again faced the media today, this time at Lennoxtown, ahead of Wednesday evening’s clash with Dundee United.
Asked about how much of an impact the crowd can have on a team, Rodgers oddly picked an example of his experience in the English leagues: “I remember my time at Swansea where you would make a backward pass because you could not go forward,” he said (Celtic FC on YouTube).
“The crowd could recognise what was happening.
“They clap, they square the pass, then you play a forward pass and it changes the point of attack. It is recognising the game and that feels good for the players. They do not see that as a negative, it is to start a new attack.”
After criticising Celtic fans for getting annoyed at some backwards passes, is Rodgers getting a dig at them by bringing up an example when the Swansea supporters didn’t? Some would argue yes.
Regardless, the sooner this latest debacle ends, the better. The last thing the club needs at the moment is divisions, which makes the unprompted nature of the manager’s outburst all the more puzzling.
Granted, Rodgers has a point, but directly hitting out at the Celtic fanbase will never go down well with certain sections, regardless of the amount of success one might have brought to the club.
