Brendan Rodgers returned to Celtic in June 2023, taking over from Ange Postecoglou who departed for Tottenham Hotspur.
It was a reunion that felt unlikely at times after his previous spell ended when he joined Leicester City in February 2019, much to the dismay of many fans.
Since the summer the 50-year-old has signed nine new players, saw his side knocked out of the League Cup, undertaken a disappointing Champions League campaign but also masterminded two vital victories over rivals Rangers.
The Parkhead side currently sit eight points clear top of the Scottish Premiership going into the New Year and it feels like a good time to look back at Rodgers' best quotes so far from his second reign in charge
His unveiling
Rodgers was officially unveiled to the media as the new Celtic manager on June 23, 2023.
His press conference prompted several questions about why he came back, the reception from the fans and his European ambitions.
"I am very privileged and honoured to be asked to come back. I planned to have a year out and reset again but once I spoke to the guys at the club and looked a bit more deeply into where the club was at, it was then pretty straightforward. The club is in a fantastic place and it made me excited to come back. It wasn't a nostalgic move but I had an amazing time here when I was here but I am here to win going forward. I am looking forward to hopefully achieving that."
"It's well documented over the years when the club hasn't qualified or had a good record. Even though that's a challenge given the resources other clubs have, it's a great one for us. We look to have European football after Christmas
"I would understand how fans would feel. Even when I was doing well I would have had critics. But it was an emotional time, the club was going for 10-in-a-row. I never get too emotional with words. The pressure is greater because of what we did the first time around but I relish that. Hopefully, I can prove to those who don't want me here and shift their opinion. I hope I can still have that relationship with the fanbase. It was a sad moment when I left. I don't regret it but I regret the hurt it caused people. I understood what it meant. That was my regret - that I hurt people who were Celtic supporters. Hopefully, in time, I can give you the feeling I gave you the first time. I don't expect anything. If I get the support then that's great. For those who doubt, I've had it all my career and continue to work hard, hopefully producing a team that plays with commitment."
He also had a message for supporters who gathered outside the stadium that day.
"For those that have been with me and always with me, let’s enjoy the journey. For those I need to convince – I’ll see you here in May."
Transfers
Recruitment is a subject that always sparks debate at any club. Rodgers signed nine new players during the summer transfer window and also signed off on the obligation to buy Tomoki Iwata from Yokohama F. Marinos.
Odin Thiago Holm, Marco Tilio, Yang Hyun-jun, Kwon-Hyeok-kyu, Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Luis Palma, Nat Phillips and Paulo Bernardo all joined the Scottish champions.
During his unveiling the Northern Irishman opened up on the transfer process.
"It's pretty simple in terms of how it works.Ultimately, I will develop and coach the players that the club provide me, and the process of the club providing me with the players is we have a great network of scouts headed up by Mark (Lawwell), who I've said before has done a fantastic job within the model of the club, which allows the club to be sustainable and successful at the same time. So, they have a pipeline of players that will fit in, but then it's about packaging the profile that fits us best and of course, I play a part in that. But they do a lot of great work; they watch players over several months so that they have various players for each position."
As questions started to be asked by fans about the quality of player being brought in, with the likes of Lagerbielke, Kwon and Tilio recieving little game time despite apparently being fit, Rodgers maintained that he had final say on signings.
"No player has been pushed onto me. We have a structure and set up and we are planning for the longer term in our signing strategy. I make the final decision on whether we sign a player."
He did however admit after the recent defeat to Hearts that more quality would be needed in January.
"There's no doubt now that, one, the squad will come down in numbers and we need to add quality. There is no dressing it up, the group lost real quality players in the summer. That's something that over the coming windows we will look to improve on."
League Cup exit
The holders exited the competition at the first time of asking after losing 1-0 to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park and Rodgers did not hide his disappointment at full time.
"I thought in the first half we were very good. We played at a good speed and created opportunities. We could maybe have been more than 1-0 up by half-time. In the second half, we never got started. You expect a wee bit of pressure for 10 or 15 minutes, which we weathered at set-pieces and corners. We never passed the ball. We were under a bit more pressure, sure, but you have to be resistant to that pressure. We weren’t able to make passes to take us up the pitch and that was the biggest disappointment of the second half. We couldn’t sustain any attacking threat in the game. When you play Kilmarnock it’s quite a direct game so you have to be able to win the first, second and third balls. But we didn’t do that. “We spoke after the game about how this isn’t how we want to play. In the second half, we played their game instead of playing our game. I thought we got rid of the ball in the second half instead of passing it. There is a big difference. We ended up being too negative in our passing. If you play a team that’s pressing and right up against you there, you’ve got to pass the ball forward. Because that forward pass eliminates pressure. And we weren’t able, for some reason, to do that."
Champions League frustrations
Celtic finished bottom of their Champions League group containing Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid and Lazio.
They took just four points from their six matches, with a draw against Diego Simeone's men at home and a dead rubber win against the Dutch champions providing the only positives.
At times the campaign it was clear that Rodgers felt his side were not seeing the results their performances deserved.
On the 2-0 opening Group E loss to Feyenoord...
"I feel for the players, I think for the first 60 minutes it was a very even game against a team that’s doing well and scoring a lot of goals, and we matched them. I am Disappointed with the first]goal. We decided the game to adjust the wall and it cost us but we’ll take that, I don’t mind players making decisions in-game."
On last-minute 2-1 defeat to Lazio at Celtic Park...
"We're bitterly disappointed. To concede late on like we did, it's harsh on us. But, there is learning there, you have to secure the ball in the game and if you're not going to win it at that stage, you certainly can't lose it. The players gave everything, we have the mentality, everything. I'm just disappointed for the players and supporters that we couldn't get the result. It was a devastating way to lose a game because we deserved something from it, but we'll analyse it and learn the lessons from it."
On the 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid...
"That was a really good performance, but we just couldn't get the win. I don't think you can say they'll fly back to Spain not knowing they've had a tough game. They didn't create so much. Their equaliser was fantastic and shows the quality at this level. Our reaction to the game was superb, having the courage and the bravery to play. We showed we could compete with a top-level team. We can create opportunities. We can play the game the way we want to play."
On the 6-0 defeat to Simeone's side in the Spanish capital...
"I'm very, very, very disappointed. it was always going to be a challenge for us 11 v 11. We were ready to fight in the game, but I'm disappointed with the sending-off. When you see the images that the referee has seen, it isn't representative of the actual challenge. For us to lose a man for that was always going to be difficult. We're four games in and we haven't got the points that we deserve. It's a huge gulf, you see that. These players gave everything. The sheer quality of Atletico overrides our effort. I feel for the players. We were undeserving of the red card, and when we get it, it's a huge challenge."
On being officially knocked out of the group stage after the 2-0 away loss to Lazio in Rome...
“In the last 20 minutes, we looked like the team that could go on and get the result, but we gave away two poor goals. This group has gained more experience and shown they can compete in some games – but we need to add quality. That’s the glaring thing that stands out.”
Rodgers has maintained since his return that he is keen to make a mark in Europe and despite this season's results he aims to improve things next year.
"We always have to dream that we can do that. That’s what being a coach/manager/player/supporter is. If I thought there was never any hope, then there’s no point in doing it. My dream always is for Celtic to be at the very highest level of European football. And for the players to go and challenge themselves against that, and as a manager and as a coach to challenge against that."
Anger at St Johnstone
The Parkhead manager made his feelings known after the 3-1 win over St Johnstone at the start of December when he publicly criticised the team for their performance in the first half.
"I'm still angry if I’m honest. The first half was nowhere near what you expect from a Celtic player and team. Just the level of intensity and ambition in the game, the speed, we were nowhere near it. We got bullied for the goal and we were soft in everything, with and without the ball. Half-time was the angriest I’ve ever been as a manager. People who have been around me will know I’m normally very calm. It was nothing tactical; this was about desire and what it takes to play for this club. Thankfully in the second half, the players were brilliant. Callum McGregor was outstanding, and I got more of the energy and ambition that I wanted. The second half, was a real testament to the players because they could have folded and been nervy, but they got to the level I demand from them. They scored fantastic goals and we could have had more. It’s a reminder that if you go soft if you go timid against any team, they can hurt you. It’s comfort. It’s the biggest pitfall in succeeding, that you become timid and lose your aggression. It’s easily done, but it’s my job to guard against it. It was just nowhere near the level. I said to the players afterwards, don’t make me be like that again. Don’t ever make me feel I have to get to that level. My teams will normally be front-foot, demanding and constant, but that’s not acceptable. No matter what success they have had over the last couple of years, there is a demand at this club to continually succeed. It’s ambition. Some players want to be too comfortable and just do enough. It’s not enough at this club.”
Derby success
Rodgers has continued his dominance over Rangers during his second spell, winning both derbies so far this season.
His overall record now stands at 15 games played, 12 wins, two draws and one defeat.
And he has made clear on how much he loves the fixture since returning.
On beating Rangers 1-0 with a makeshift team...
“I understand I have been placed on death watch by the media. Whatever the result today I’m an experienced manager now and I’m staying calm but that’s where you are powerless as a coach. For me, I understand what we have, I understand what we are missing. Until we get the level of player back that will make a difference in some of our games we have to keep working and developing and improving and I have absolutely no doubt we will do that as the season grows. Listen, it’s three wins and a draw in the league and some of the games have been good, but we are still piecing together a team which will look a lot more like it by the end of the season.”
On the recent narrative ahead of the 2-1 victory at Parkhead...
"Over my two spells here I have worked against five Rangers managers and every time Rangers were coming," the Irishman said. "Every time, at some point. So for me, it’s normal. If I listened to the media and press then we would be in constant crisis mode and constant fear of Rangers. But it’s the fifth manager now. So for me, my focus is only on Celtic and concentrating very much on here and a lot of the stuff that maybe does go around thankfully I ignore it. We showed today that with a team still missing key players, and players who will make the difference for us, we are competitive and we can play football and we can compete. And that is what we will continually do. There is no doubt Philippe has improved Rangers. There is no mistake about that. He’s come in, he has used his experience and common sense. He has set the team up well. They are competitive and they play as a team. We knew it was going to be a challenge for us. But we had to be super brave. We had to take on the challenge and that is what I have always done when I’ve been here.”
