Aidan Smith: Brendan Rodgers rather liked telling us what we couldn’t see

Brendan Rodgers is all smiles on the bench during the Europa League tie with RB Leipzig. Picture: Jens Meyer/AP

What, the lowly Buddies, almost the length of two whole divisions below Rodgers’ men at the time of the sides’ meeting in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup? The same St Mirren, in serious relegation bother in the Championship, had put up the most impressive show against Celtic who were over the hill and far away in the Premiership, 27 points ahead?

“Ouch,” went Mark Warburton, late of Rangers, walloped 5-1 by Celtic in a return to the top flight garlanded by that “Going for 55” banner which Warbs said recently had made him cringe. With good reason, as it turned out.

“Ouch,” went Derek McInnes whose Aberdeen had been the best-of-the-rest during Rangers’ absence and prior to Rodgers’ arrival, but who’d palpably failed to turn up for the League Cup final earlier that season.

Rodgers didn’t get into direct comparisons, rating the performances of St Mirren’s humble midfield against the braggadocio which was all that had seemed to be on offer from Ibrox statement signing Joey Barton. But he praised the work being done by Paisley boss Jack Ross, adding: “They are the best team we have played domestically, without any shadow of a doubt.”

Was Rodgers really having a dig at the so-called competition? That was how his remarks were interpreted. Post-match press conferences are fairly predictable affairs, taking place quickly and sometimes curtly in airless rooms. Journalists ask the questions but managers like to keep control of the agenda. In this, they can be playful, possibly because they’re bored. They can be contrary, even perverse, if the result has been bad, putting them under pressure. Rodgers was having no such problems; his reign was already serene. His toothy smile had been stitched into a huge flag unfurled at every home game. Perhaps he was at the wind-up but he was also anointing Ross. This was the power of Brendan, his dazzling aura.

A few months later he repeated the trick. Kilmarnock were having a torrid time and their manager Lee McCulloch couldn’t find three points anywhere. After Celtic’s routine win, when Rodgers probably thought he was in for some  routine questions, he announced that before he got down to what had happened in the match he wanted to talk about McCulloch, an “outstanding manager” who despite recent hardships had “no need to worry”. Unfortunately for McCulloch, this seal of approval from the stellar coach – still unbeaten domestically and heading out into the uncharted, thrilling waters of back-to-back trebles – couldn’t save him from the sack a few defeats  later.

Rodgers liked to pronounce. To be fair, sometimes he simply spoke, but because of who he was, where he’d been in football and indeed where he was trying to take Celtic, his remarks would be written up as sacred oaths. This is what happens to some Parkhead managers, and especially when they’re zeroing in on treble trebles. Nevertheless, the impression remains that Rodgers rather liked telling us something we didn’t know or couldn’t see with our own eyes, and I suppose, who in his position wouldn’t?

The impression he will leave in Celtic hearts and minds at the timing of his departure isn’t so clear right now. Great, if the club go on and complete the treble treble and beyond that ten-in-a-row. But what if they don’t?

The faithful will try and remember what life was like in the pre-Rodgers era and wonder how it will turn now. Celtic couldn’t risk getting reacquainted with Rangers with Ronny Deila in charge, while Neil Lennon had an unfortunate habit of faltering in knockout competition. Under Rodgers, though, they won every cup tie and just about every time Rangers came back for another go at them, insisting, “This time we really mean it”, the rivals were obliterated.

Yet Rodgers has been damned with faint praise and occasionally not praised at all. As Celtic began to become all-conquering, an English-based newspaper despatched a journalist up to Scotland to report on the football scene. His conclusion, which made scant acknowledgement of Celtic’s achievement in staying unbeaten, was that this was the most uncompetitive league in the world.

No team which wins so relentlessly, no matter their financial advantage and their failings on the bigger European stage, deserve such churlishness. The treble treble can be Rodgers’ legacy, save for the home stretch having to be tied up by someone else. But Celtic be warned: there are still cup ties to be played, starting this Saturday at Hibernian where Rodgers was never quite able to flash his victory grin – and who knows, next time Rangers may  really, really mean it.