With Celtic preparing for a crucial Glasgow Derby, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd has accused Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers of pandering to the fans in his second tenure at the club.
Boyd, now a Sky Sports pundit, argues that Rodgers has altered his public persona under the pressure of the tight Premiership title race.
Rodgers, who returned to Celtic Park after a stint with Leicester City, has been at the helm as Celtic vie for a third consecutive league title under his management. However, Boyd believes the Northern Irishman has been “playing to the galleries” to win over a segment of Celtic fans who were reluctant to accept his return after his abrupt departure in 2019.
The criticism follows a series of exchanges between Rodgers and Rangers manager Philippe Clement, who reacted to Rodgers’ comments about looking forward to “having some fun” in the derby. Boyd feels that both managers have displayed uncharacteristic behaviours as the title race intensifies.
He wrote in the Scottish Sun: “We have seen two sides to both Old Firm managers in this title run in. In his first spell as Celtic boss, Brendan Rodgers was simply a class act. But this season he’s been playing to the galleries far too much for my liking. We’ve also seen Philippe Clement exhibit signs that he’s feeling the heat for the first time. Now we’ll see which boss handles the pressure at Celtic Park — and gets their hands on the Premiership title in the coming days
“Rodgers had a degree of class about him with the way he conducted himself last time. He was never one to gloat. He’d never rub anybody’s nose in it when he won a game or lifted a trophy either. But with the pressure on? The Parkhead boss has been absolutely desperate to tell the club’s supporters what they want to hear.
“He’s going to get away with it, too. Barring a very dramatic collapse, Celtic will be champions this season, and Rodgers will be lifting that Premiership trophy for a third time. The fans he wanted to appease will stand and applaud. But I’ve listened to things Rodgers has said and thought to myself several times, ‘That’s just not you’.
“He wasn’t like that when he first came back. Rodgers was brave enough to say he didn’t have any regrets over the way he left Glasgow for Leicester in 2019. But when fans started to ask questions about results and performances, he changed his tune. When Rangers clawed their way back into the title race, he showed a different side to him.
“Rodgers tried to create the narrative that Celtic weren’t getting nearly enough credit from the press and pundits alike. Some supporters bought it — but the smarter ones could see it for what it was. Rodgers largely succeeded in currying favour with the fans who refused to welcome him back to the club with open arms, though.”
