John Barnes has fired off a bitter dig at Celtic, as well as Scottish football as a whole, in a thinly veiled critique of Brendan Rodgers’ decision to return to Parkhead.
The former Celtic manager, who was sacked after a disastrous nine-month stint in charge back in 2000, did not hold back when asked about Rodgers’ future and the wider ambitions of Scotland’s biggest clubs.
Speaking on the subject of whether Rodgers might fancy another crack at the Premier League, Barnes was dismissive of the challenges in Scotland, branding the Celtic job as an “easy life.” He said: “He’s going to win the league most years up in Scotland. He’s been to the Premier League a couple of times, and he’s gone back to Scotland. It’s up to him what he wants. It’s a very easy life for him up there. Celtic are the best team and Rangers are struggling.”
Barnes’ suggestion that the Celtic manager has it easy ignores the high-pressure nature of life at Parkhead, where winning is expected and every dropped point is scrutinised.
Rodgers may well go back to the Premier League, and no one would blame him, but he’s made it clear that he’s seeing out his three years at Celtic. His contract is set to expire next summer, but he’s been tight-lipped about any potential extension.
On European ambitions, Barnes was equally cutting, stating bluntly that Celtic will never win the Champions League. “Celtic is never going to win the Champions League. If they can get through to a knockout phase or to get through to a group stage, fine. But that is never going to change. Not in his [Rodgers] lifetime anyway,” he said.
He went on to criticise supporters’ expectations, implying that calls for success in Europe are unrealistic and that any manager in Glasgow will always be limited by the financial realities facing Scottish clubs. “I don’t see why those expectations are there,” he concluded to PokerScout.
While some may see a grain of truth in the financial gulf between Scottish clubs and Europe’s elite, Barnes’ tone is unlikely to win him many fans in Glasgow. His own managerial spell at Celtic ended in disarray, and the timing of these comments — as Celtic chase yet another treble and reflect on a strong European campaign — feels particularly pointed.
Rodgers, for his part, has shown in both stints at Celtic that he’s more than capable of delivering success. And while Barnes might scoff at the ambitions of Scottish football, Celtic fans will continue to demand the highest standards — both domestically and in Europe.
