Football Daily | Dermot Desmond fires up his flamethrower as Rodgers resigns

6 hours ago 7

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

As splits go, Monday night’s parting of Brendan Rodgers and Celtic was as bitter and spectacular as any rock band have managed. And unlike Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses and the Gallaghers, there will be no reunion tour. Think The Smiths, with attendant wordy statements to reflect just how severed the alliance is. Rodgers’ departure was initially sold as him stepping away. “Celtic Football Club can confirm that football manager Brendan Rodgers has today tendered his resignation,” droned a club statement. “The Club appreciates Brendan’s contribution to Celtic during his two very successful periods at the Club.”

So far so normal, including the dismally unnecessary capitalisation of “Club” fully frowned upon by all respectable subeditors. Step forward Dermot Desmond, usually publicity-shy majority owner. “I want to acknowledge Brendan’s contribution,” was a gentle opener before firing up his flamethrower. “However, I must also express my deep disappointment at the way the past several months have unfolded.” Desmond went on: feel the heat of phrases like “not reflected that trust”, “simply untrue”, “absolutely false”, “the facts did not match his public narrative”, “toxic atmosphere”, “fuelled hostility”, “divisive” and the final headshot: “One individual’s desire for self-preservation at the expense of others.” Oof.

Celtic fans have been unable to fully enjoy Rangers’ latest fall. The Russell Martin caper was a farce of Ben Travers proportions sullied by Rodgers’ team being concurrently useless. Meanwhile, Hearts, who beat Celtic on Sunday, are partying like it’s 1986 by running away with the Scottish Premiership. Celtic club suits have come in for heavy flak, the chosen method of protest lobbing tennis balls on the pitch. Rodgers comparing Celtic’s squad to a “Honda Civic” was rather disparaging to players given his job was to motivate, as well as to one of the best-selling, reasonably priced, most reliable cars on the market. That toothy grin no longer gleamed as brightly as during his first spell in “Paradise”.

Leaving for Leicester in February 2019 when a treble Treble was going begging was unforgivable in the eyes of many. Rodgers’ return in the summer of 2023 has never quite been the same bed of roses, showing the ancient football adage of “never go back” is usually one to stick to. About that: almost as shocking as Desmond’s character assassination was news that “Martin O’Neill and former Celtic player Shaun Maloney have agreed to take charge of Celtic first-team matters”. O’Neill last managed Nottingham Forest in 2019, shelled after five months, by no means the last – or shortest-serving – former Bhoys manager to be tinned by Big Vange. An Ange Postecoglou return would complete the circle of high comedy but, for now, the clock is being rolled back to the days when O’Neill, actually 73, pogo-ed on the sidelines as Henrik Larsson wellied in a truckload of goals and the Celtic diaspora descended on Seville.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It’s not only the players [to blame]. When we lose, I go home and don’t speak to my wife. Do you know why? Because I am sad. We are playing sh1t” – Wolves keeper José Sa has a full and frank conversation with fans outside Molineux after defeat to Burnley left them rooted to the foot of the Premier League. Vítor Pereira had already been escorted from the touchline after an angry post-match chat with the supporters with whom he was sharing pints last season.

Vítor Pereira has an angry post-match exchange with supporters

Watching the current success of my adopted fitba club Hearts (yesterday’s Football Daily), my mind immediately turns to Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit/Owl John/Mastersystem fame and now tragically seven years deceased. A lifelong Hearts fan, he even recorded, with Frightened Rabbit, his own version of Hector Nicol’s ‘The Hearts Song’ to commemorate their main stand being knocked down after 103 years. Following his death, Hearts themselves wore the name of the charity set up in his honour (Tiny Changes) on their shirts during the Scottish Cup semi-final warm-ups in 2020. I never had the pleasure to know or even meet Scott, but by all accounts he was one of the good ones. Rarely does much time pass before I put one of his (very, very good) albums on for a listen, and in this miserable autumn weather there’s little better to listen to. I hope he’s out there, somewhere, able to see his team flying high at the top of Scottish Premiership. RIP, Scott. The Jambos are doing you proud” – Oliver Billenness.

Sad news about Sheffield Wednesday (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition). When I was over in the UK in 2016 (for the Leicester fiesta) I had an hour or two to spare in Sheffield between trains. So on impulse I went up to Hillsborough, which is curiously (to me anyway) up a valley in the ‘burbs. The place was locked up except the club shop, to my chagrin, as I was keen to look around. However, I was directed to a suit passing through the shop who turned out to be the chief suit. When he learned I was a Kiwi footie fan on holiday, he generously took me for a quick tour around the stadium and even on to the pitch. That kind gesture instantly made me a secondary Wednesday fan. Can’t remember his name but he told me he’d previously also had a senior role at my beloved Leicester” – Rod de Lisle.

To cut down on travel, Truro City (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition) should consider moving to Truro, Massachusetts. Truro, Massachusetts to Taunton, Massachusetts is only 87 miles. From Truro, Massachusetts it’s 141 miles to Gloucester, Massachusetts. And it’s only 67 miles to Plymouth, Massachusetts. Admittedly, some of their other matches would be a bit further: Hartlepool is approximately 3,200 miles away” – Dan Davis.

Re: yesterday’s Quote of the Day. I am so glad this Kenny Dalglish film has finally been made, as it is a whopping 12 years since Rush came out” – Antony Train.

Send letters to [email protected]. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Oliver Billenness, who gets a copy of A History of Football in 100 Objects from the Guardian Bookshop, which has loads of other great football reads, too. Get shopping! Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.