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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark Pirie

Brendan Rodgers missed 'elite' Celtic window as Leicester exit sparks brutally honest Simon Jordan next step verdict

Simon Jordan has warned Brendan Rodgers he missed his chance to be a top six English Premier League manager after leaving Celtic for Leicester City.

The Northern Irishman's time at the King Power Stadium came to an end on Sunday after a four year spell at the club, with defeat to Crystal Palace seeing Leicester drop into the bottom three and leaving the former champions facing the prospect of being relegated from the top flight. Rodgers leaves the club having lifted the FA Cup during his spell with the Foxes, but that has failed to convince Jordan he is an "elite" manager.

Jordan reckons that the only case Rodgers could have made to joining one of English football's heavyweights like Arsenal or Tottenham was when he was leading an all-conquering Celtic side. Rodgers left Celtic in February 2019 to join Leicester having claimed two domestic Trebles, including an unbeaten debut season in Scotland, along with an additional League Cup before exiting midway through the campaign.

Asked where Rodgers could move next and if he was still considered a "big 6" manager by Jim White, Jordan told talkSPORT: "No. Not on recent performances, no.

"And I think it's arguable that he could be considered a big 6 manager full stop. He went into Liverpool and was given this remarkable strike force; Suarez, Sterling and Sturridge.

"At that moment in time they were on fire and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory away to Crystal Palace, after losing 1-0 to Chelsea when Steven Gerrard famously slipped over. The following season was very poor and Klopp took over and turned them into a powerhouse.

"Okay, Liverpool are having a bit of a time of it at the moment but they will come back again. He went to Celtic and rebuilt his reputation on the back of a very big football club, but in a two horse league.

"He has come back to Premier League and won Leicester the FA Cup. He is a good manager, but I think elite manager's land inside the top four. I think he had an argument once upon a time coming out of Celtic because of his achievements there.

"But I think now you (Rodgers) find yourself in a diminished position. Once upon a time it was Brendan Rodgers for Arsenal, Brendan Rodgers for Tottenham but I don't see why now."

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