WHERE’S YOUR AMBITION DERMOT?
Sutton: Desmond must fight to keep Brendan from Gunners
CHRIS SUTTON last night slammed Dermot Desmond for failing to put up a fight to keep Brendan Rodgers at Celtic.
The Parkhead manager has shot to the top of Arsenal’s boss wishlist after the Gunners announced Arsene Wenger would be bringing the curtain down on 22 years in charge at the end of the season.
Hoops powerbroker Desmond has riled up
fans preparing for a Premiership title party at Easter Road today by admitting he was happy the manager was in the frame and insisting he wouldn’t stand in Rodgers’s way.
Desmond said: “Absolutely. I don’t think you can put handcuffs on anybody if they want to go to a club as good as Arsenal. But it’ll be Brendan’s decision and Brendan’s decision only.
“I’m glad he’s the favourite because he deserves to be the favourite. He’s an outstanding person and we wouldn’t like him to leave. But we can’t force anybody to stay and hopefully his love for the club and the set-up there will induce him to stay at Celtic.”
Celtic could demand up to £8million in compensation for the boss who has three years left on his four-year deal signed last summer.
But Record Sport columnist Sutton hit out at Desmond for paving the way to a Parkhead exit and accused the majority shareholder of making Celtic look small time.
He said: “Dermot says he won’t stand in Brendan’s way – but he should be standing in his way. Where’s the ambition?
“It’s always going to be difficult if a club like Arsenal come calling but Celtic have to put up some kind of fight to keep him.
“You don’t just simply step aside and wish him the best of luck. Celtic are a big club in their own right but Dermot coming out with this kind of stuff just makes them look small fry.
“We keep being told Brendan is building something at Celtic so it would be a backwards step to simply let him go.
“However you look at it, he is the best man for the job. You can’t just wave goodbye to your ace card.”
Sutton reckons Rodgers deserves to be in the frame – and he’d be facing the biggest decision of his career.
He said: “It’s right he’s in the frame for Arsenal but this will be a test of Brendan and Celtic’s resolve. He has declared himself happy at Celtic. It’d be huge if he stayed on and won 10 in a row. You’d be talking legendary status at Celtic.
“But Arsenal is also a big job and it’s a good time to go there. There’s always a danger of comparisons with Wenger but it’s not like David Moyes stepping in to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
“Arsenal have been in freefall for a number of years. It’s a rebuilding job and that would appeal to any top manager. There are other managers being touted but it would be a massive decision for Brendan if there was an approach.”
Rodgers has swept up all the honours in Scotland and swatted aside rivals Rangers in the Scottish Cup last week.
But he said: “There are still challenges for me here that can really test you to the limit.
“It’s also about happiness. If you look at the modern game, when you are happy you can work well.
“It’s a bigger picture for me. I’m living the dream here and one day it will finish. However that is and whenever that is, I don’t know.
“But while I’m here, I want to give it the very best I can and try to create a standard and legacy here that will make people look back and say, ‘You know, he did alright – for a supporter’.
“The priority for me is to help the team, to win and try to inspire the supporters, to give them as many great moments as I can.
“But there are other sides of the club I want to help. It’s a bigger spectrum for me. Football is my job, that’s what I’m paid to do. Can I help and support other elements of the club to grow? I don’t get tired of that.
“If you beat your great rival 4-0 and play so well, keeping your fans happy, you don’t get tired of that.
“When you do well nowadays, everyone tries to push you on. There may be a point in my time here when I think I’ve done absolutely everything. That’s not now.”