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“There’s no doubt”-Martin O’Neill Reveals the Shocking Truth About Brendan Rodgers’ Second Stint at Celtic
Brendan Rodgers’ return to Celtic for a second stint initially caused some discomfort among fans. After Ange Postecoglou left for Tottenham, the Celtic board acted quickly to fill the void, and Rodgers was the only candidate on the list. However, many fans had never expected to see him back at the club following his controversial departure for the English Premier League.
Despite this, most Celtic fans have moved past their initial frustration and are now enjoying some of the best football the club has played since Postecoglou’s tenure. Eighteen months into his second spell, Rodgers is on the brink of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages and has the chance to win another treble.
When asked for his opinion on how Rodgers has been performing, Martin O’Neill didn’t hesitate to praise the current Celtic manager. Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show, O’Neill said, “He’s doing splendidly, really. He had a lot to overcome, no doubt about it. And he would have been anxious about those fans who were upset with the way he left Leicester. Coming back, there were people he needed to win over.”
O’Neill continued, “You win people over with performances, results, and the style of play, especially in games like the one against Leipzig, which was outstanding. It was as good a performance in Europe for Celtic in a long time.”
Reflecting on his own time at Celtic, O’Neill noted, “After I left, Gordon Strachan came in and did really well. But Brendan came back at a time when he needed to maintain Celtic’s strength after Ange Postecoglou’s success. Celtic have been strong for quite some time now, but that victory against Leipzig was brilliant.”
O’Neill also shared a story about watching Celtic’s Champions League game in Dublin. “I was covering the Liverpool-Leverkusen game that night with Shay Given, and his friend, a big Celtic fan, was texting him every few minutes saying how brilliantly Celtic were playing. I had to watch the highlights, and they were fantastic.”
When asked if Rodgers was performing well, O’Neill’s response was clear: “Yeah, absolutely. Done splendidly.”
As for comparing Rodgers’ first and second spells at Celtic, it’s rare for a manager to return to the club for another stint, with only Neil Lennon and Rodgers having that privilege in recent years. While it was always going to be tough for Rodgers to surpass his first season, which saw the club go unbeaten and win a treble, his second season is already showing signs of success. Few Celtic fans would argue that Rodgers has not done enough to mend old wounds, especially if he continues this form and secures another unbeaten season along with progress in the Champions League.
