HEAVENS ABOVE... MAYBE THEY’RE SPYING ON US, TOO! SAYS BRENDAN RODGERS
THE SPYGATE story continues to grip English football, with Leeds season. United boss Marcelo Bielsa’s remarkable admission this week that he sent staff to snoop on every one of his Championship rivals’ training sessions this
By contrast, Scottish football’s only known links to espionage are limited to the high-profile presence of 007 actor Sean Connery at Rangers games during the nine-in-a-row years.
Yet, when Brendan Rodgers hears a buzzing noise high above his training sessions at the foot of the Campsie Hills in Lennoxtown, the Celtic boss admits to nagging doubts over potential subterfuge.
Whether or not he is actually being watched, Rodgers believes the biggest danger to a manager remains a player’s representative leaking a team line-up, rather than any intelligence gleaned via nefarious tactics.
There has been a rush to the moral high ground down in England to condemn Bielsa, after one of his spies was caught watching Derby County train before a recent Championship game at Elland Road. But Rodgers is still a huge fan of the colourful Argentine coach and his relentless quest to gain every possible advantage for his promotion-chasing side.
‘I’ve encountered a few things up here, like drones and stuff,’ admitted Rodgers, who added that is not the reason Celtic put green tarpaulins in place to block views of training.
‘There’s been a couple of drones spotted that I’ve waved at and I’ve seen a couple of guys out “walking their dogs”. Things happen in football. My concern would be more about a team getting out through an agent. There’s more chance of that in the modern game.
‘I know Frank Lampard caught someone in the bushes (before Derby played Leeds) and Bielsa did his best on Wednesday to try and defend that (detailing his forensic preparations for matches).
‘But Marcelo Bielsa is someone I’ve admired for a long, long time and his methods were renowned long before he came to these shores. I’ve worked with enough Europeans and South Americans to know that’s how they are.
‘There are a lot of self-appointed morality officers coming into the debate now. Some are mentioning cheating but that’s a harsh word to use. Marcelo is trying to get an edge. He’s an international manager and it’s not illegal. I don’t think it’s unsporting.’
Had tomorrow’s Scottish Cup opponents Airdrie sent a spy drone over Lennoxtown yesterday, they would have noted that left-back Kieran Tierney remains missing from training.
The 21-year-old is still suffering from a hip condition. He travelled to last week’s mid-winter training camp in Dubai but did not train.
Rodgers insists it is too soon to tell whether the Scotland defender will be ready for Celtic’s Europa League last-32 date with Valencia on Valentine’s Day.
‘That’s too far ahead,’ said Rodgers. ‘Kieran is still with the medical team and hopefully over the next few weeks we will see where we are at. There’s no timescale.
‘Will he need an op? I’ve not been advised of that yet by the medics. We’ll wait and see, but the pain he has is less than it was.’
That means Emilio Izaguirre will deputise at left-back against Airdrie, despite a poor showing on his last outing in the league at Aberdeen.
Leigh Griffiths remains absent due to his off-field issues, but Rodgers says the striker is in contact with the club and working on his physical condition. ‘There’s nothing to add with Leigh. It’s ongoing, really,’ he said. ‘He’s working well with the club and getting a level of fitness in, too, which is good.’ Odsonne Edouard is still unfit and working with the Celtic medical team, but Rodgers hopes the French forward will be close to a return for next weekend’s league game at home to Hamilton. New striker Vakoun Issouf Bayo, a £2million signing from Slovakian outfit Dunejska Streda, is still waiting on his work permit issues being sorted. But Celtic fans are likely to get their first glimpse of new attacking loan options Timothy Weah (left) from PSG and West Brom’s Oliver Burke against Ian Murray’s League One Diamonds tomorrow.
‘Weah and Burke will both be in the squad for the Airdrie game,’ confirmed Rodgers. ‘They’ve shown up well and already settled into the group. Oliver has been training and playing away because there is no winter break down south and Timothy has also looked good.
‘Bayo is still going through the paperwork process and he is not in the country yet, but hopefully he will be with us by the weekend.
‘Is the chance to see the two new players an incentive for fans to come and watch the game against Airdrie? I would have to say our support has been brilliant.
‘There were a couple of midweek games last month where I thought there might not be many people there but the ground was almost full, which was amazing.
‘Our home form has been brilliant since I’ve been at this club and we’re looking forward to kicking off another important period.
‘We have four home games in a row coming up (against Airdrie, St Mirren, Hamilton and St Johnstone) and we’re looking forward to getting back and playing again after the winter break.’
Rodgers, meanwhile, insisted he is focusing only on Celtic after
Sportsmail revealed he is the favourite to replace under-fire Claude Puel at Leicester City.
He added: ‘Leicester have been on an incredible journey over the last few years. It’s a fantastic club but, for me, at this moment in time, my concentration is purely on Celtic and looking forward to the second part of this season.’
He also sidestepped questions on signing Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay on loan and Everton’s James McCarthy.