Stars will be out of Rodgers’ reach
Don’t expect new boss to be able to sign players of Sutton’s calibre, says Boyd
HOWEVER much the global explosion of the English Premier League has overshadowed its near neighbours over the past decade, the appointment of Brendan Rodgers is a timely reminder that Celtic retains the kind of appeal few clubs south of the border can compete with.
If the former Liverpool manager had any lingering doubts as to the wisdom of his decision to move to Glasgow over the past week, the sight of queues snaking around the club’s ticket office would surely have dispelled them.
For all that many previous Celtic managers have arrived to universal acclaim, the response to Rodgers’ arrival is truly without precedent — putting even the unveiling of Martin O’Neill 16 years ago in the shade.
Tom Boyd, who was skipper back then in 2000, sees many parallels between the respective appointments aside from the glaringly obvious Northern Ireland connection.
Like O’Neill did before him, he foresees Rodgers re-energising a number of players who have clearly lost their way and presiding over a recruitment policy grounded in quality rather than quantity.
But although much of the past week has been reminiscent of O’Neill’s unveiling at the turn of the century, Boyd believes that anyone envisaging a job lot of established top-end Premier League players following Rodgers north of the border is about to be sorely disappointed.
‘I can’t see the type of player Chris Sutton was, a goalscorer from the Premiership, coming here,’ stated Boyd.
‘That transfer fee would probably be a big part of our turnover now — maybe in the £30million bracket. That would be outwith our price range.
‘We can’t get someone from the top level of English football or world football, so we’re still trying to bring in names for entertainment.
‘The best players at this club have been ones that are found in lesser leagues — I’m thinking of your Henrik Larssons and Lubo Moravciks. We’ve had a good bit of joy in terms of managers bringing in players they know who have provided a spark.
‘Some of the highest-profile players have not been as successful as we’d have hoped, so it’s trying to get the strategy right. Big money spent on players has not always worked so we’ll see how it pans out.’
An unstinting backer of Ronny Deila for the vast majority of his two-year tenure, Boyd realised that a change of direction was imperative the moment Tom Rogic’s wayward penalty handed Rangers victory in the Scottish Cup semi-final in April.
And, given the way Rodgers has elevated the spirit of the support without so much as a ball being kicked, Boyd feels the pain of that afternoon at Hampden might just have been a price worth paying.
‘The semi-final result put paid to Ronny and, judging by the reaction from the rest of the support, it certainly seems to be the right decision (to let him go),’ added Boyd.
‘We’ve lost Ronny and we thank him for the job he did, but there’s a new momentum about us, a new spirit and that has caught the imagination of the fans.
‘We’re all optimistic now that someone of the ilk of Brendan has come to the football club.
‘There has been a change of direction — it’s safe to say that.
‘It’s got the juices flowing among the fans and all at the club. I’d imagine the players are looking forward to pre-season training and that’s not always the case.
‘Supporters are looking forward to the start and to see what Brendan can give us.’
Those now castigating the Celtic board for not landing a manager of Rodgers’ calibre two years ago gloss over one uncomfortable truth. Without Rangers and Hearts in the top flight, the league was diminished. Accordingly, so was the quality of the short-list to replace Neil Lennon.
Yet, what the scenes at the stadium since Rodgers’ arrival have confirmed is that an appointment of an unknown like Deila simply didn’t engage or inspire the support.
‘I think the thinking has been to live within our means,’ Boyd said.
‘But when you look at the strategy of getting in a high-profile manager — it’s certainly paid off in terms of winning the fans back.
‘Brendan’s done it at the highest level in the Premier League and, but for a fateful slip from Stevie Gerrard, could have won the title at Liverpool.
‘We want to get that style of football — the stuff that Ronny tried and which didn’t happen. ‘A new manager who has everyone on a fresh footing should bring enthusiasm and optimism back to the club.’
Tom Boyd was promoting the Celtic FC Foundation Golf Day at Renfrew Golf Club on June 23. Fans wishing to book their place should call 0141 551 4373 or email cfcfoundation@celticfc.co.uk