He jumped. But he would have been pushed eventually. There was shock last night by the timing of the resignation of Brendan Rodgers but no one can be surprised that his reign has ended.
The departure of the Northern Irishman had an inevitability about it after a summer of discontent that had irritated the board, then the fans and, perhaps, the team.
He walked into Celtic Park yesterday to file for divorce from a club that he had joined once in scenes of joy, then rejoined with some expressing quiet reservation.
His haul domestically as a manager was impressive but it became clear that Rodgers had to leave the club. Celtic would almost certainly have sacked him if a suitable replacement could have been found for him. Rodgers did their job for them.
Celtic hustled quickly and brought back Martin O’Neill, who will help to salve discontent and will address media matters. Shaun Maloney, one suspects, will take training.
The tension between Rodgers and the board has been outlined in a coruscating statement by Dermot Desmond, the major shareholder. Even in his first spell as manager, there were those inside Celtic Park who felt that the manager’s statements on recruitment were self-serving and, indeed, detrimental to the club.
This was to be a feature of his second spell. There was talk of ‘not being caught asleep at the wheel’ or the board being ‘more brave’. This was a bitter pill to swallow for executives who were working 24/7. The winter window was undoubtedly disappointing but it was dwarfed by what happened this summer.
As targets failed to be successfully wooed, the Rodgers’ rhetoric was turned up. It gained formidable traction amongst a section of support already disillusioned by the board. The Desmond statement last night addressed all this with a force this observer has never seen in a parting statement.
There was talk of lack of trust, a contract offered but not signed, and all recruitment being agreed with Rodgers. Desmond writes of accusations of a lack of support for the manager: ‘Despite ample opportunity, he was unable to identify a single instance where the club had obstructed or failed to support him. The facts did not match his public narrative.’
These are the words of a man who feels betrayed.
This would not sit easy with a man such as Desmond who values both loyalty and extreme competence. He was watching the unfolding acrimony from fans and he could be forgiven for thinking his manager was doing little to assuage it.
The situation came to a crisis, as it always does in football, because of results. Dundee and Hearts were body blows but the most significant event was to play four hours against Almaty and not score. Thus the Champions League and its riches were forfeited. Again, there were comments about recruitment but there was a growing awareness that Celtic had more than enough surely to beat Almaty.
The lack of new recruits was a disappointment to all but Celtic’s form had been unsteady for the calendar year and Almaty was the most persuasive evidence that Rodgers’ tenure as a coach was on the proverbial shoogly nail.
As the board were becoming more annoyed at the manager’s public utterances — and Desmond’s statement makes this crystal clear — the fans were also beginning to question Rodgers’ ability to take the club forward.
There will be those who are unhappy to see him go but in recent months there has been an acceptance that he is, at least, part of the problem in the downturn of the fortunes of the club. He has not won a big match this year, losing to Rangers sides managed by Philippe Clement and then Barry Ferguson and letting a cup slip though his hands to Jimmy Thelin.
The Champions League qualifying fiasco was the cherry on top of this rancid, inedible cake. He had lost the trust of the board and the faith of many of the fans.
He was isolated. He took the decision to resign, again. The tone of Desmond’s statement suggests his tenure was in severe peril.
Celtic now seek to save a season. There is fan opposition to the board and there have been two damaging domestic defeats. But the board will believe a boil has been lanced.
