THE PERFECT PARTING GIFT
Champions League chance is thanks to Deila, says Rodgers
CELTIC managers rarely consummate a relationship with the Champions League until the honeymoon is over. Martin O’Neill had to win a domestic Treble to earn a crack at the group stage in his second season, while Gordon Strachan suffered a qualifying humiliation against Artmedia Bratislava in his very first game. Neil Lennon’s first exposure to UEFA competitions was the Europa League and Ronny Deila’s second failure in Malmo 12 months ago tightened the noose round the Norwegian’s neck.
Brendan Rodgers, then, is breaking new ground. The first Celtic manager to reach the Champions League in his first season.
He inherited a lousy legacy from Deila. One of nervous insecurity in Champions League qualifiers, all too evident during a torrid Tuesday night against Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
The likelihood is Deila’s Celtic would have collapsed completely in Israel. By ticking the Champions League box, Rodgers has exposed his predecessor’s failings further.
He takes no pleasure in doing so. Within hours of seeing off a spirited, skilful fightback by the champions of Israel, the former Liverpool boss made a point of namechecking Deila — and thanking him.
The Norwegian’s second domestic league title in May, claims Rodgers, opened the door to a pot of UEFA gold.
‘They are good players here and they needed help in order to achieve what they wanted to achieve,’ said Rodgers after a 5-4 aggregate win over Hapoel clinched a place in this evening’s group-stage draw.
‘But I will also say thank you to Ronny because I don’t get the chance to qualify for the Champions League if he hadn’t won the league.
‘So, amongst the thanks, I want to say a particular thank you to him and his staff — because that gives me the chance to come into the club when he decided to move on and try to take the team forward.’
Celtic’s qualification hinged on fine margins. Moussa Dembele’s injury-time penalty against Astana. Craig Gordon’s spot-kick save in Israel. Every successful manager needs breaks and Rodgers already looks like the kind of Parkhead boss who could take a tumble into the River Clyde and stumble out with a salmon in his hip pocket.
Deila was cursed in Malmo by a Nir Bitton goal wrongly chalked off before half-time.
And it felt like Malmo over again as a Celtic team unable to retain possession went two goals down with over 40 minutes to play in the imposing Turner Stadium.
Right-back Saidy Janko had the kind of night even Tyler Blackett might regard as ropey.
Booked in the process of giving away a 14th-minute penalty, the Swiss international was far from the only Celtic player to have a poor night.
Yet his joint culpability with Gordon for Hapoel’s second goal set the seal on a hapless display which may yet force his manager into the transfer market.
Rodgers changed formation to push Janko and Kieran Tierney further up the field, sending on defender Erik Sviatchenko and going to three at the back.
Unusually, he outlined his changes by sending Sviatchenko on to the pitch with a note for Scott Brown.
‘It said: “Any danger?”,’ laughed the Parkhead boss. ‘It was just to make sure they understood the shape I wanted them to play in.
‘If you leave the message with a player, sometimes it doesn’t get on quick enough.
‘Scotty’s a great communicator, so Erik gave it to him and he could see the shape of the team and what players had to go to what positions and what we were trying to achieve.
‘Rip it up quickly and go. I’ve done it in the past. It’s not a book… ‘Listen, the quality of your life is down to the quality of your communication skills. ‘However you get it on there, however it is written, whether it is verbal, you need to get the message on there as quick as possible.
‘I thought we found a calmness. Sticking an extra defender on meant Kieran and Saidy could engage their full-backs higher up the pitch.’
Game management like this earns a manager trust.
Rodgers speaks of his players being fitter and stronger, mentally and physically. Players are exposed to an exhaustive level of preparation and opposition analysis. The best players in Israel were Scott Sinclair and Kolo Toure — Rodgers signings acquired for a sum of around £4million in the transfer market.
Yet the Northern Irishman insisted: ‘They will still be a way to go before they will be where I want them to be.
‘I think that game shows all the work they have been doing, the long hours, all the tactical work, all the psychological work in terms of getting that resistance to anything thrown at you.
‘You get your rewards on the field. That’s where we want to see them.’
Deila’s Celtic were engaged in an abusive relationship with the Champions League. It sapped their spirits and battered the manager’s reputation and belief.
In alluding to the improvements made since his arrival, Rodgers damns Deila slightly, but insists he was left with plenty to work with.
‘This is a huge job at Celtic; a very, very tough job with the expectation of the club and where the club wants to be,’ he continued.
‘With the riches now in football it’s very, very difficult. We haven’t spent nearly anything at all.
‘But we needed certain types of personalities in here to add to the boys here.
‘It’s just to give them a different way of thinking and working and they have responded magnificently.
‘It’s a pleasure to work with them. And it’s, hopefully, only the start for them.’
He will watch the draw tonight unconcerned by who comes out. Celtic were almost magnetically drawn to Barcelona and the Milan teams in previous years. A Real Madrid or a Paris Saint-Germain would excite supporters and thrill the manager.
‘It will feel really, really nice,’ said Rodgers. ‘It will sink in over the next day or two — the achievement traced back to June 25 and what we walked into.
‘We have started on the first day and this was our first target. It’s amazing to have achieved that.
‘And it’s a huge success for the club. And particularly the players.
‘Europe will be happy as well when they see a club like Celtic involved, especially with our fans.
‘Hopefully, it will be a nice evening and we can get a good draw.’
There is still some way to go before we are where I want us to be