BRENDAN CAN LEAD US TO 10 IN A ROW
Lawwell hands world-class Rodgers bumper new 4-year deal and backs him to deliver the Holy Grail for Celts
PETER LAWWELL has hailed Brendan Rodgers as a world-class boss who can deliver the Hoops the Holy Grail of 10 in a row.
The Celtic chief executive was last night celebrating securing the manager on a fouryear deal – just days after wrapping up their sixth title on the spin.
Rodgers’s new contract will take him to 2021 and Lawwell branded the boss the best in his 14 years at the club and the perfect man to hit the magic number. He said: “When you get
to six it gets closer and closer and our fans are looking at it and everyone is looking towards it.
“As Brendan said you’ve just got to do it season by season, do your work, keep improving and just keep winning. But I agree, we couldn’t ask to have a better man to do it. At the moment it would be very difficult to find somebody better suited than him, for where we are at the moment as a club.
“I do believe he’s a worldclass manager. I’ve been here for 14 years now and worked with five different managers. They’re all great managers but I definitely think Brendan is world class. Technically, tactically he is exceptional. It’s worked out really well.
“He has surpassed all our expectations but the most surprising thing is he’s done it with the same squad.
“That shows you one of his main strengths is making players better. He’s
taken them to another level. With the greatest respect to the managers who have been here because we have had great managers, Lenny won three and Ronny had two, Brendan would be nearer the full package, in terms of having the lot.
“Others have big strengths and some weaknesses but he’s as near to the full package.”
Lawwell was thrilled to tie down Rodgers long term having originally penned a one-year rolling deal. He said: “An insurance policy wasn’t the motivation. Our judgment is a four-year contract is worth it. If we sign a player on a four-your deal he’s probably only going to be here for two.
“If he’s good enough he will go down south where he can earn 10 times his salary. If he’s not he will be moved on.
“It’s different for Brendan. The message it sends out is that he is staying with Celtic. Don’t bother, don’t waste your time. The message is clear. We want him here for at least the length of his contract.
“We have plans. We have ambition. There is an expectation from the supporters and he is fundamental to it.”
“We’ll be flexible with debt but we’ll never put the club in jeopardy and Brendan gets that.
“If you believe in that, you can’t have money to buy the best, you have to create the best and that’s what he is – a creator and developer.
“We want the same things, we work well, we understand each other and he’s a delight to work with.”