Return of the Brodge - we good, y'all?

The final player/manager review of the 2024-25 season focuses on the performance of Celtic's Mr Bling - Brendan Rodgers.

With Ange Postecoglou rushing down the road into the English Premier League (EPL) bear pit, Dermot Desmond blinged out on another EPL stalwart, all shiny teeth and Gucci belts, in Brendan Rodgers.

It felt like bringing a Ferrari to a Mini Clubman race. Still, it also allowed Rodgers to redeem himself with the Celtic support, some of whom never forgave him for burrowing down the same escape tunnel Postecoglou used back in 2018.

With Lawwellball, the original catalyst for Rodgers’ departure, consigned to ceremonial duties in the boardroom, Rodgers’ second second year has been much smoother. Last season, the Lawwell progeny could have been a Firestarter, but that political battle was won, and therefore, the Irishman has been able to do it his way.

Let’s wrap up the end-of-season reviews by acknowledging that it has been a successful season. The most important benchmark is how Celtic performs in the European arena. To end up with a positive record after eight league stage matches and be highly competitive against a hugely talented Bayern Munich side in the knockout round play-off was to meet targets on the grandest stage.

We’ll delve into the nuance behind the performances later, but Celtic managed to escape the group or league stage for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The next step is to win a Champions League knockout tie (note to the wallies – this is much more difficult than winning a Europa League knockout tie).

Domestically, anything other than a league title is a disaster. Such is the resource advantage Celtic holds over every other side, over 38 league matches, that monetary gaps should be reflected in the table. The title was secured at the end of April, but had not been in doubt during 2025. Next season will be different. A Tony Bloom-fuelled Heart of Midlothian, Black Knights-driven Hibernian, resurgent Aberdeen and new American owners determined to make their mark at Ibrox set up the most intriguing Scottish campaign for many years.

Cup success is more precarious given the variance at play in single tie football. Celtic should be challenging each season, and a League Cup triumph and Scottish Cup final appearance were satisfactory from an outcome perspective, but we’ll touch on performance later.

It will irk Rodgers that he has not matched his unbeaten treble hauls of his prior reign, and no doubt that will be the goal this term.