After prematurely terminating his previous stint in charge, the Irishman made it plain that leaving his mark in Europe was the main goal when he succeeded Ange Postecoglou in June 2023.
Celtic’s European season last year was one to forget. The Champions League skid of more than a decade without a home victory came to an end on Matchday 6 after it began with two red cards and a loss in Rotterdam with the wooden spoon clinched.
There was a growing sense among many supporters that Celtic was out of their depth in the Champions League and that it was a step too far.
Rodgers has radically altered the mentality with a few wise acquisitions and astute man-management.
A good campaign of advancement from a 5-1 victory against Slovan Bratislava to the Allianz Arena was ended Tuesday night by a stoppage time equalizer, ending a 10-match run in which Celtic regained respect and credibility in Europe.
In order to return to the Champions League, Celtic will have to compete in a two-leg Play Off if they win this season’s SPFL title.
Sutton has kept a close eye on Rodgers’ development in Europe and wrote in the Daily Record that he doesn’t hold back when it comes to doing what is necessary to advance the team:
Brendan Rodgers has done a magnificent job in restoring Celtic’s credibility in the Champions League.
Now the club simply must ensure this progress isn’t wasted. Rodgers?has been as good as his word in terms of restoring the club’s pride on the continent and he wants to keep progressing, so give him every opportunity.
To come this far and then stall would be criminal. It just can’t happen, so I trust work is already going on feverishly behind the scenes on his behalf right now.
It’s been intriguing to gauge the noise around the potential investment which may arrive into Rangers?from American sources. Cash injections into Ibrox might be important for them, but, to be brutally honest, from a Celtic point of view, it’s irrelevant.
Right now, my old club are looking up the way in terms of pushing on in Europe as opposed to peering down below them at rivals in Scotland. When it comes to investment, the only one that counts at Celtic is their own and focus on that has surely strengthened by the progress in this season’s Champions League.
Look, I’m not one who wallows in glorious failure. That type of sycophantic guff usually has me hunting for a sick bag. But I didn’t actually see Celtic’s Champions League exit in Munich as a failure.
Eliminated, yes. But, when it comes to their status amongst the elite of Europe and a vision of what could happen in their own future, the Allianz Arena has to be viewed as another big step forward.
Rodgers came back for this. The fans craved this. To go up against one of Europe’s big guns and stand toe-to-toe with them in knockouts.
It’s not so long ago Celtic couldn’t win a game in the Champions League. They lost four out of six last season and, despite Rodgers’ claims to the contrary, I didn’t see much progress.
However, this term, it’s staring you in the face. In 10 games in the competition, Celtic lost just three. They took points on the road when, in the past, they were just lucky to escape without a hiding.
Fortress Parkhead had become a soft play for opposition. It was as fearful as a bouncy castle, yet that has all been changed, too. The Bayern defeat in the first leg was a first home reverse in seven. This is progress. Real progress.
From seven goals in Dortmund to a resolute show down the AutoBahn in Bavaria, it’s night and day and it cannot be frittered away by standing still and soaking up pats on the back.
Listen, winning the title is of utmost importance for obvious reasons, but, with Rodgers close to that feat again, circles must already be around the qualifiers in the summer.
Can you imagine making this progress and then not having the opportunity to build on it again by losing out in those shoot-outs? It’s not an option and the wheels simply have to be turning now in the background.
Celtic’s inability to find a successor for Kyogo Furuhashi in January will make the summer transfer window crucial.
Rodgers’ contract expires in June 2026, so making the proper acquisitions this summer could help retain a manager who has established himself both at home and in Europe.
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