If anyone can repeat a Treble it is Rodgers
THE records tumbled as Celtic secured an historic Treble in Brendan Rodgers’ first season in charge at Parkhead.
A finest start to a season in the club’s post-war history ended with Scottish football’s first unbeaten top-flight campaign since 1899.
When the final whistle blew on the last day of the Premiership, a new points total of 106 had been set. A record goal haul of 106 was also recorded by Rodgers’ ruthless outfit.
But next season his Invincibles will be attempting to take on the seemingly impossible. While three previous Celtic sides have won the Treble, and seven Rangers teams have swept the board, not once in the history of Scottish football has a team retained all three trophies.
The closest a side came to a double Treble was Rangers 23 years past and Celtic 47. Both claimed five out of six pieces of silverware before losing the Scottish Cup final — Rangers to Dundee United in 1994 and Celtic to Aberdeen in 1970.
While watching history being rewritten by Rodgers last season, former Parkhead star Didier Agathe saw parallels with his own 2000-01 Treble-winning boss, Martin O’Neill.
And he is in no doubt that, in Rodgers, the Scottish champions have the perfect man to achieve mission impossible next season.
‘I’m not scared about what lies ahead for this side because I really like the manager,’ said Agathe, who won three titles and five domestic cups at Celtic.
‘I really think there are similarities between Rodgers and Martin O’Neill. The main one is their man-management. But both also like to entertain and the fans really enjoy the football their teams play.
‘I was back at Celtic Park for the charity game and Brendan came over and spoke to me in the warm-up. It was my first time meeting him but he knew all about my career. I felt privileged to speak with him because I really like the guy. He is a guy you can learn from.
‘What his team has done is incredible. People outwith Scotland think it’s easy to win a Treble in Scotland but it’s not. The season after winning a Treble is also difficult. People expect a lot.’
Agathe was part of the last Celtic team to grace a European final, when O’Neill’s side lost 3-2 to Jose Mourinho’s Porto in the UEFA Cup final in Seville in 2003. Agathe hopes Rodgers can take the fans on a similar adventure next season and claims it would help the club’s bid to retain their Treble.
‘It would become a little easier if they qualify for the Champions League group stage. That would keep their standards very high across at least the opening half of the season. People will be expecting them to be good in Europe next season and a club of Celtic’s size should be in the Champions League group stage every year.’
Agathe was given a reminder of just how big Celtic are when 60,000 fans packed into Parkhead last Sunday for a charity game between Lubo’s Legends and Henrik’s Heroes.
Given no segregation was required, it was Scottish football’s biggest attendance of the season as stars like Larsson, Moravcik, Bobo Balde, Neil Lennon, Artur Boruc, Stiliyan Petrov and John Hartson took to the field.
‘I was very humbled by the reception I got,’ said Agathe. ‘I know life is not easy for everyone. Sometimes we try to pretend otherwise but life isn’t always easy. But when you come here and play football in front of 60,000 fans, it reminds you never to forget how fortunate you are in life.
‘I am proud to be associated with Celtic. Martin O’Neill was a big influence in my career. But we are what we are because of the fans and it was a privilege to play in front of them again.’
If Celtic skipper Scott Brown needed any reminders of the history his team have inherited by wearing the hooped jerseys, he only had to glance at John Clark handing out the Scottish Cup winners’ medals at Hampden last Saturday
Brown was genuinely moved that the Lisbon Lion, still doing a shift as first-team kit co-ordinator at 76, was chosen for the task to mark the 50th anniversary of the club’s European Cup-winning heroics.
If, in half a century’s time, Rodgers’ Invincibles are remembered with a fraction of the fondness reserved for Jock Stein’s men, the Parkhead skipper will be delighted.
‘For us to do something and, hopefully, be remembered in 50 years time like Clarky and his team were over the course of the week is a phenomenal feeling,’ said Brown.
That this Celtic team will long be lauded for their undefeated clean sweep is without doubt. Yet Rodgers’ players, who have sacrificed plenty in a fitness drive with no shortcuts, are already scanning the horizon for their next target.
‘Next season is the big one,’ said Brown. ‘We have Champions League qualifiers early doors. So we need to be ready.’
Lauding the efforts of the players to hit the standards required by Rodgers, Brown said: ‘In the first six months, we had to get as fit as possible. We came back not the fittest and the gaffer was all about everyone’s body fat.
‘We managed to get that down ten or 12 per cent in the whole squad. No matter how fit anyone else is, our fitness is better.
‘We showed that all through the season and we’ve dug ourselves out of a few holes.’