Brendan Rodgers: Moving to big club not always the best move

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is too long in the tooth to pronounce on the wisdom or otherwise of the decision by Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes to remain at Pittodrie rather than become Rangers' third manager this year.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers suggests Derek McInnes' decision to stay at Aberdeen was down to his happiness at Pittodrie. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA WireCeltic manager Brendan Rodgers suggests Derek McInnes' decision to stay at Aberdeen was down to his happiness at Pittodrie. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers suggests Derek McInnes' decision to stay at Aberdeen was down to his happiness at Pittodrie. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

He did, however, stress that there are times when the happiness of loved ones is more important than job satisfaction. Rangers released a statement which questioned McInnes’ ambition and mental strength but Rodgers, who has been in that situation himself, has no reason to doubt that the Dons boss is lacking in either quality.

McInnes has finished second behind in each of the last three seasons. Given that the champions have finances outwith the reach of the cash-strapped Ibrox club, he may have simply decided that he can better achieve that runners-up position with the Dons.

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Rodgers has been the up-and-coming new kid on the block and knows how easy it can be to arrive at the wrong choice.

“The big question is, if you’re going to move, it has to be for something that’s worthwhile and you don’t always get that right; I left Watford when I shouldn’t have,” he admitted.

“We had stayed in the Championship, we were in a good position, we were building. I left to go to Reading because I was in a hurry, thinking I could get them to the Premier League quicker. That proved to be the wrong move for me.

“When I left Swansea I had the opportunity to go to Tottenham and Liverpool, which is one of the great iconic clubs of the world.

“I’d had two great years at Swansea and the challenge of going to a club like Liverpool was going to be huge.

“You never know if you’ll ever get that opportunity again and, at 39, I took that chance. It proved to be a really good decision for me because of the experiences and everything I learned. That period set me up for the rest of my career.”

Rangers could probably have offered McInnes a higher salary but Rodgers realises that cash is not always King (and vice versa).

“I’ve now had five jobs as a manager,” he said. “When you have that experience, you tend to look at it differently.

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“You’ve been on that journey to get to the big club. From that, you can make other decisions around your next move.

“There has to be a strategic element to it and. of course, there will always be the personal element to it but what I think you can’t discard – and maybe that’s what Derek has thought about – is happiness.

“Sometimes you’re doing well at a club and people tend to think you should move. I certainly know now from my experiences that that should never always be the case.

“If you’re doing well in your job then it’s okay to keep doing well there. You should never feel you have to move or you have to change job.”