Brendan Rodgers emerged from today’s press conference as the first Celtic employee to publicly address what has been an extraordinary and bruising week for the club…

While the boardroom remained silent, the manager sat alone to face the media and, in doing so, delivered a measured but pointed response to every major issue hanging over the club over the course of the last couple of weeks.

Despite the backdrop of fan protests, internal leaks, and a chaotic transfer window, Rodgers stayed professional throughout. But he did not shy away from the big questions.

He calmly acknowledged Celtic’s problems, expressed empathy for frustrated supporters, and made clear where improvements are needed if the club is to break the damaging cycle of recent seasons, but he also took aim at those who deserved it, and he certainly
didn’t miss.

Rodgers began by reflecting on the close of a fraught transfer window, admitting relief that the speculation was finally over, but on this issue no-one was thrown under the bus, that would come later.

“I’m glad the window is shut, there’s a really good spirit in the team,” the Celtic manager admitted.

“There’s been a lot of uncertainty and instability, we accept it could have been better for us but now it’s behind us. My job as manager is to pull everything together and get us moving again. We have to accept and take responsibility that the window wasn’t what we wanted. I believe we have talented players.”

Rodgers also addressed the late departure of striker Adam Idah to Swansea City, pointing out it was not Adam’s wish to leave, and explaining the unexpected nature of the move, and that the transfer pieces didn’t fall into place initially in terms of a striker replacement. But he also talked up the arrival of replacement striker Kelechi Iheanacho, a player he worked previously with at Leicester City.

“Adam was a player who hadn’t asked to leave. Swansea wanted him around the same time as other possibilities could have happened for us. We didn’t want to lose him. It looked as though it would be one out, one in, but that didn’t happen for whatever reason. Kelechi (Iheanacho) is robust and has genuine talent.”

The manager was also asked about whether he understood the supporters’ anger, at the transfer window debacle, admitting the club’s summer business left many questioning its ambition.

“Absolutely. We were all frustrated,” Brendan said. “You respect the fans of your club, it’s why we love Celtic and the Celtic support. They keep us honest, they keep us driving and pushing.”

And Rodgers also acknowledged the need for better communication between the club and the supporters after a summer that left relationships strained to say the least. He touched on ‘that’ statement, perhaps hinting there may be further communication from the club to come, but underlined it is his role to move the club forward to more success.

“The club put out a statement and I’m not here to answer those questions because they are not mine. Over the coming weeks, it will become clear how that evolves. I’m not here to tell supporters how to feel. I know it, I feel it because I grew up with it. Supporters want to see the club develop not just domestically; we have to be looking to perform better in Europe.

“The quality of your life is the quality of your communication. After this summer that is something the club will most definitely look at. My thoughts currently are purely on getting the team back playing with our identity again. My job as the manager, this is the situation I’m now in. I’ve never been more determined to succeed now the window is shut this season. In fact, it’s my duty.”

Asked whether Celtic’s transfer approach needs reform, Rodgers offered a frank assessment of the tension between the club’s business model and footballing needs. He admitted the recruitment issues led to his exit from Celtic last time around, but that it won’t happen this time. However, he admitted to feeling ‘empty’ about it all, something the fans will recognise as mirroring our own emotions on that subject.

“I think the business model of the club is highly successful. What we have to marry that in with is the football. Not just investment, timing of investment. It was clear what we needed, and we needed it early. We had these qualification games. Summer 2025 was a critical window for us to get players in to be ready for these games, and we weren’t ready.

“That made me leave last time. This time I won’t do that, one hundred per cent. I said 150 per cent a few weeks ago, so I’ll go back to that! It didn’t make me think of walking away, I just felt empty, if I’m honest.”

Despite the turbulence of the last few weeks, Rodgers reiterated his desire to remain at Celtic beyond his current deal, which expires at the end of the season, explaining there would have to be ‘conditions’ met before he would commit to a contract extension, but admitting that so far an offer has not been forthcoming.

“It hasn’t really changed from the last time. I would love to stay here longer. I’ve had informal chats with Dermot (Desmond) and Michael (Nicholson) but no offer to consider. One hundred per cent I’m open to staying in the right circumstances. I guaranteed I would do three years, and if going forward I do get offered a deal, there does have to be conditions in that that allow me to work the best I can.”

As we know around this time last week a ‘Celtic Insider’ was quoted in a tabloid article pointing the finger of blame at the manager. It was a desperately embarrassing moment for those inside the club, and maddening for supporters, but Rodgers met the question today head on.

There was no couching his feelings, instead the Celtic boss addressed the damaging newspaper reports, claiming senior insiders were unhappy with him, by describing the report as ‘cowardly’.

“It was interesting when I was shown that. My honest take? I thought it was a cowardly action from whoever it is. Was I surprised by it? Not really. I was briefed upon the last time I was here, when I left, and now that I’ve come back.”

When asked if he knew who was behind the leaks, he simply replied, “No.” You can be assured that he’ll have his suspect list though, perhaps someone who he didn’t mention in today’s media conference. On the specific suggestion that the club should investigate the source, Rodgers left the door open for a frank conversation.

See more

🗣️ "It is a cowardly action. Was I surprised by it? Not really."
🗣️ "I don't think there's any doubt {the leak should resign]"

Brendan Rodgers reacts after someone at Celtic leaked information claiming he wanted to leave 🚨 pic.twitter.com/C87k5MENcd

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) September 12, 2025

“I don’t think there’s any doubt. If you are sitting where I am with the weight I have on my shoulders, it’s so important to feel supported. Whoever is briefing, they can come here and speak to me at any time. We all will have frustrations at times in our life, but I would never think of going and bringing that to the fore to hurt someone else. Especially someone who didn’t have to come back but wanted to come back.”

See more

🔊 LISTEN: “It was a cowardly action from whoever it is… Was I surprised by it? No, not really.”

🍀 Brendan Rodgers is criticising the Celtic ‘insider’ who leaked to the media that Rodgers was trying to “engineer his exit” from the club. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/znxHn1kGBr

— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) September 12, 2025

Eventually, Rodgers also provided updates on the squad, confirming Kieran Tierney had trained and new signing Kelechi Iheanacho was available for the weekend.

On Daizen Maeda’s admission that he had sought a move, Rodgers was also candid. “Daizen wanted to leave in February. I still feel that if a player wants to leave, we have to be ready for that, but we weren’t in this window.”

Despite the tensions, he stressed respect for key figures behind the scenes and let it be known he was meeting with Celtic’s CEO later today. That will no doubt be a very interesting meeting.

“I am speaking to Michael (Nicholson) later this afternoon. On a personal level, I have huge respect for Dermot (Desmond). He’s a big reason why I came back. Michael and Chris (McKay) are good guys, in on Christmas Day, these are honest guys. We just have to make sure our football model is lined up, or we’re just going to be in this cycle.”

Finally, Rodgers addressed the supporters directly, recognising their right to protest while urging unity, an understandable call from a manager with a team approaching an incredibly busy and challenging part of the season.

“I understand the frustration. But I also know the quicker we can become one and come together, that’s where the strength lies in Celtic. Everyone together, fighting for the one cause, that’s the power of Celtic. I’m pretty sure the guys on our board won’t want this either. I hope we can find a solution that can get everyone together again.”

Brendan Rodgers’ performance today was a lesson in controlled leadership. He offered honesty without hysteria and criticism without (too much) confrontation.

While he avoided inflaming tensions with the board, he made it clear that Celtic’s football operations need sharper alignment if the club is to progress in Europe and avoid repeating the same damaging mistakes. But he’ll know as well as we do that we’ve heard all this before.

In a week where some notable figures chose silence rather than bravery, Rodgers spoke with clarity and conviction. For supporters demanding accountability, his words may not fix everything overnight, but they were a reminder that, at least on the football side, Celtic still has a figure determined to lead with both dignity and determination.

Now we need the same from others inside the club.

Niall J

Read this from Niall J on the next page…Step forward, Michael. Answer the questions your supporters are demanding…

Step forward, Michael. Answer the questions your supporters are demanding…

Normally, such press duties are a routine part of a manager’s week. But this time, the context could not be more different. It would be an understatement to say a lot has happened since Rodgers last faced the cameras.

Big challenges lie ahead, and these were recognised openly, but the sense of purpose was unmistakable

Over the past week, we have witnessed something powerful, a remarkable mobilisation of the Celtic support. In just a few short days, unity has been forged across fan groups, culminating in Wednesday night’s constructive and encouraging meeting attended by representatives including David Faulds, Editor of The Celtic Star.

Wednesday night’s fan meeting was proof of the unity and determination now driving the Celtic support. Big challenges lie ahead, and these were recognised openly, but the sense of purpose was unmistakable.

Plans were discussed for an initial protest at Sunday’s match, and there could follow a coordinated campaign across many areas which will be announced in due course with a mandate being given from the survey that the fan organisations have organised over the last week with 38,832 responses from supporters (see below).

Overwhelming backing for  the creation of a fan advisory board and a democratic supporter body

The survey results presented could not have been clearer. An overwhelming 99.4% registered a vote of no confidence in the board, while upwards of 90% endorsed every form of protest put forward. Perhaps most telling of all, 99.5% backed the creation of a fan advisory board and a democratic supporter body and we’ll look at how that might happen shortly.

Calls for the removal of key board members also drew near-total support.

It is early days for this emerging campaigning group, but the constructive start, combined with the growing strength of fan media, has given the support a powerful and unified voice like never before.

Supporters have shown, that when the club faces turbulence, collective action and shared purpose come to the fore. This unity has come about because fans do not feel listened to and have fears that have built up over months and years that Celtic is being run not at it’s optimum level, but instead left to coast.

The club’s ill-judged statement earlier in the week remains raw, five days on

The club’s ill-judged statement earlier in the week remains raw, five days on. It landed heavily, leaving behind hurt and fear that many fans are still processing. Hurt that the custodians of our club would choose to address supporters in such a patronising, condescending manner. Fear that those entrusted with running Celtic laid bare their failings, yet showed no appetite for accountability or change.

Instead of introspection, the statement was framed as a list of excuses, a plea for sympathy, and a refusal to recognise that massive internal reform is required if Celtic are to thrive again.

A cowardly attack on Brendan Rodgers in the Sun has united the support being the Celtic manager, exactly the opposite of the ‘Celtic Insider’s’ intention 

As if that were not damaging enough, supporters were left stunned by an extraordinary article in The Sun newspaper. Reportedly coming from a ‘Celtic Insider’ it attempted to deflect blame for the club’s failings onto Rodgers himself. That hit piece was cowardly, desperate, and entirely out of step with the mood of the support.

To brief against the manager in such a fashion was to reveal weakness at the heart of the organisation – weakness that cannot be hidden behind spin or scapegoating.

The parallels with 2019 were glaring. Then, as now, a Celtic manager was painted as someone who ‘didn’t get it,’ when all he had done was demand the same ambition the Celtic supporters have for our club. And then, as now, the executive appeared insulated in a self-congratulatory cocoon, surrounded by yes-men and gin-selling sycophants who owe their positions more to loyalty than to merit. The result is an organisation seemingly incapable of recognising challenge as healthy, let alone essential.

The tabloid attack, the disastrous statement, the transfer window debacle

And yet, after all this – the tabloid attack, the disastrous statement, the transfer window debacle – it will not be the CEO, the chairman, or the board who step forward to explain themselves. It will be Brendan Rodgers, the very man whose character was assassinated in the press, who is expected to answer questions about issues not of his making.

That smacks of weakness. The silence from those truly responsible only underlines what many supporters already fear, that the people charged with leading Celtic lack the courage and vision required to do so.

Rodgers would be perfectly justified in declaring he will speak only of football and about the supporters until the board finds its voice. Why should the manager be left to answer for decisions made in offices far from his remit? He should also refuse to speak to The Sun Newspaper and let them pay a price for taking part in the hatchet job last weekend.

Why should the only public voice of Celtic be the manager, when it is the executives and directors who must explain the current malaise?

Communication has long been a failing of this board. There appears a deep fear within the corridors of Celtic Park that speaking directly to supporters invites scrutiny and, in turn, accountability. But silence is no longer an option. At this stage, silence is not an option.

The support deserves answers. We deserve to know why ambition appears absent, why recruitment has been so poorly handled, and why those at the top feel entitled to patronise rather than engage. Most of all, we deserve leadership worthy of the name.

The unity displayed by supporters this week has been inspiring

The unity displayed by supporters this week has been inspiring. The contrast with the executive’s behaviour could not be starker. Celtic is not in crisis on the pitch – not yet – but behind the scenes, incompetence, relationships and egos appear to be obstructing progress. That is intolerable.

If those in charge have nothing to hide, they must prove it. They must face the support, acknowledge mistakes, and lay out a plan for the future. No more statements. No more whispers to the press. No more hiding behind the manager.

The time for silence has passed. It is time for accountability. Show bravery. Step forward. Answer the questions your supporters are demanding. Do it now, before Brendan Rodgers is left to carry a burden that is not his to bear.

One thing that is certain is at Rugby Park and every game after that Brendan Rodgers and his players can be assured of the 100% backing from the entire Celtic support. That was made clear at Wednesday night’s landmark meeting as The Celtic Rebellion formally began.

Niall J

Celtic in the Eighties – Out Now!…

Celtic in the Eighties by the late, great David Potter is out now on Celtic Star Books. Celtic in the Eighties is now available in the Celtic superstore and all other club shops. And don’t forget that you can still purchase your copy directly from Celticstarbooks.com for same day postage.

Order Celtic in the Eighties today, you’ll be glad you did, it’s a fabulous read!

More Stories / Latest News

Spirit of ’86 looms over Hearts Scottish Premiership title hopes

Apr 28 2026, 19:25

Three teams, one title, no clue to who wins Scottish Premiership

Apr 28 2026, 14:00

28th April – Five Memorable Celtic Moments on This Day

Apr 28 2026, 10:23