It’s tough to build at Celtic ... every two years we must recycle
BRENDAN RODGERS will always keep trying to build something at Celtic.
But with the club’s position in world football’s pecking order he accepts it may well need torn down and restructured virtually every two years.
With Moussa Dembele’s time at Parkhead potentially ending before the weekend, reality has again bitten in the East End.
Attracting potentially top-class young foreign stars isn’t so much a problem for Celtic.
It’s sticking to the model and moving them on when they progress along the path and closer to their peak which hurts. Handsome financial recompense or not.
It happened long before Rodgers. Neil Lennon watched as Ki-Sung Yueng developed and left after three years.
With money going up elsewhere and options getting more attractive, Victor Wanyama enjoyed exposure and built up his reputation before he felt it time to go.
Ronny Deila was in the same boat when Virgil van Dijk served his twoyear apprenticeship and went. Now it’s Dembele’s turn to see opportunities elsewhere after doing his two-year stint and Rodgers is acutely aware of how it works.
In essence Celtic know they can only get these boys in the first place if they don’t stop them going later.
It doesn’t make it any easier for the supporters to handle – or any easier for those managers to cope with.
Rodgers said: “It’s understanding where Celtic is at. There’s no secret. It’s very difficult to build something here because every two years there is going to be recycle. That’s the way it is.
“You’d love to be able to keep some of these players for five, six, seven years but it’s not the reality, especially now when players can get offered three or four times the money they are on here.
“It’s a really short career. It’s difficult for players. There comes a certain time. With Virgil, there was a possibility the summer before for him to go. He played on for a year and then got his move a year after.
“It’s worth mentioning that Moussa has been brilliant in my time here. It’s been perfect.
“When I met with him a few years ago I explained how it could go in terms of him improving and becoming a winner and showing that he can play at the highest level. All these steps have been taken. It’s something you have to deal with.
“It’s great you have players with lots of value who can move on but Celtic is a club with cycles and this is the first of them in my time. It’s timing. It’s unfortunate it’s come at this time.”
There was always going to come a time. It’s always been a ‘when’ and not ‘if ’ situation when it came to Dembele.
But, as Rodgers suggested, this timing is the opposite of ideal. For a start, there’s just two days left to get a replacement.
Then there’s a European tie in which Dembele is unlikely to feature against Suduva tonight and a crucial Old Firm game against Rangers on Sunday when the Frenchman may have already gone.
Chuck in the fact Rodgers has been unable to secure specific targets and faces having his squad weakened again and it’s coming across as the most problematic period the boss has faced since moving Glasgow. But
Moussa has been brilliant in my time here. It’s been perfect BRENDAN RODGERS
he said: “It’s football, it happens. You just have to deal with it best you can whether Moussa stays or goes. It’s not all going to be plain sailing and smooth. It’s just different things to deal with. There’s always something.
“They say about football management you’re always in it, it depends how deep.
“Ankle deep, knee deep or neck deep? You’ve just got to keep it as low as you can.”
With that in mind the football offers Rodgers key release from the off-field circus.
Wins over Suduva and Rangers will help ease some of the concerns around the support and, given the nature of this summer, it’s about as long term as their manager can dare look.
Leigh Griffiths is set to start tonight against the Lithuanians as Celtic look to build on their 1-1 away draw and Odsonne Edouard could also feature on his return from injury as he looks towards the Rangers showdown.
Rodgers knows results always bring some level of stability to any club and said: “That’s my focus, preparing the team, to get a result and have European football through until Christmas and prepare for the Rangers game.
“You have to do both. My focus has been on the training pitch and people behind the scenes are working on the other side.
“What I have to ensure is when the player pulls on the shirt there’s a total commitment to performing.
“If there’s not, then it’s understandable, especially if there’s speculation around it, but we can’t afford to not have that.
“It’s pretty straightforward. Last week after the Suduva game, although I wasn’t overly pleased with the performance you’ll have gathered, we came together as a squad and spoke about our reaction going forward and what is important.
“It’s a time that can be very unstable for players and it’s my job to stabilise the emotions of the team and ensure we’re focused on the football.
“There are young players with talents who show that every time we play so we’ve dealt with other issues.
“This adds a little bit more because it’s that time of year but you learn to deal with it.”