Latest news with #GordonStrachan
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Doubts over Brendan Rodgers' future are a problem for Celtic as they enter corridor of uncertainty
Even before last season's finishing line was in sight, speculation about who'd be in charge of Celtic a year from now had already started. Brendan Rodgers ' admission back in May that he was longing for the summer recess on the back of another gruelling campaign did nothing to quell the notion that he's eyeing a more prolonged rest from frontline management when his contract at Parkhead expires in 2026. It's a plan the Northern Irishman had in mind when he was sacked by Leicester City in 2023 only for the chance to return to Celtic Park to rear its head two months later. Having caused merry hell by fleeing by the dark of night for the Midlands in 2019, he promised to fulfil the full term of his three-year contract second time around. His place in Celtic folklore now secured after winning a further four trophies, he's fully entitled to leave by the front door a year from now if he so chooses. He'll have clocked up five-and-a-half seasons across two spells by that point. Martin O'Neill did five years and Gordon Strachan bowed out at four. You could hardly blame Rodgers if, at that point, he also feels he's done his stint in Glasgow's goldfish bowl. A fluent Spanish speaker, he might well feel the time is right to broaden his horizons after some time out. If you were a betting man, you'd certainly be sticking your money on a harmonious parting of the ways at that juncture. Speaking at the side's pre-season training camp in Portugal the other night, Rodgers confirmed he'd held discussions over his future with key figures including Dermot Desmond. While he's never categorically ruled out staying beyond next summer, nor has he yet expressed a desire to do so — publicly at least. 'We touched base on it,' he said. 'But it primarily was just a chat around things. Like I've said, it's still a long, long way out.' Be that as it may, but Rodgers —and his paymasters — know how this works. No matter how they try to underplay it, any manager entering the final year of his contract represents uncertainty. And that's the one thing football clubs do all they can to avoid. It starts to dominate the agenda. It makes long-term planning difficult. It can also unsettle certain players. You can well understand why many clubs down the years have gone down the road of ripping off the bandage and confirming what they're whispering in the shadows. But while this strategy does at least offer clarity and an end to the constant questioning, it's also high risk. Manuel Pellegrini believed his decision, in February 2016, to confirm he was soon to be making way for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City was the reason they fell from second place to fourth in the Premier League. 'The most difficult thing in a group is when you break something,' the Chilean ruefully reflected. 'Something was broken in that moment.' Almost eight years on, Jurgen Klopp's shock announcement that he was leaving Liverpool didn't exactly have the galvanising effect he wanted in the remainder of that campaign. Although the Reds did win the League Cup, they finished third in the league behind City and Arsenal after shipping 17 points and exited the FA Cup and the Europa League to Manchester United and Atalanta respectively. Much closer to home, Rangers will forever regret the decision to announce that Walter Smith was set to leave the club at the end of 1997-98 at their October AGM. Rather than give the squad a sense of purpose as it sought to win a record 10th successive title, the move had the opposite effect. With Dick Advocaat poised to move in, the form of several players including star man Brian Laudrup nosedived. Remarkably, only once that season did Rangers win four straight league games. The upshot was that Celtic pipped them to the title. A generation on, Celtic will be aware of the inherent danger of starting the season with any sort of cloud hanging overhead. The fact is that if there's no change in the present situation, Rodgers will continue to be asked the same question week-in, week-out. If his mind is set on moving on, there will come a point when it feels right to make it known. The trouble is that neither scenario is exactly ideal. It's all a very good advert for one-year rolling contracts. While such arrangements don't make speculation entirely disappear, it does tend to stay in the background with no big countdown to the contract's end date. If Rodgers was willing to look at this arrangement, it would appear to be the best way forward for all concerned. No matter how taxing he's found managing Celtic, he's always been at pains to stress how much he and his family enjoy living in Glasgow. One more year before a stage-managed exit in 2027 would hardly be a sufferance. But while much can change in the blink of an eye in football, there's little so far this summer to indicate that that's how it will pan out. A year back, having called on his board to be 'braver' in the transfer market, Rodgers got Adam Idah and Arne Engels for a combined £20m. Paulo Bernardo came in for £3.4m with £6m spent on Auston Trusty. It's a different story thus far. Although Kieran Tierney is back at the club, the business done to date has been lower key. Benjamin Nygren will start games next season, but you'd be surprised if Ross Doohan, Callum Osmand or Hayato Inamura did so. Rodgers still doesn't have a direct replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi who departed for Rennes in January. It's not as if the club are strapped for cash. It just coined in a reported £16.5m from Como for Nicolas Kuhn and it's no longer paying the wages of Greg Taylor, Maik Nawrocki or Gustaf Lagerbielke. Might there be a reluctance on Celtic's part to let their manager spend big on players who he may only work with for a season? Similarly, you could be forgiven for wondering if the agents of some targets are wary of committing their clients to a club whose manager may soon be on the move. In the here and now, Rodgers and his side next take on Sporting Lisbon in the Algarve tomorrow with a home game with Newcastle on Saturday coming before the Como Cup. The hope will be they aren't still in a corridor of uncertainty when the real business starts.
BBC News
13-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'If this is what we're in for, hello Championship' - Your views on Airdrie loss
We asked you for your views following Dundee's defeat to Airdrieonians in Steven Pressley's first game in what some of you said:Daniel: Just another chronic appointment from John Nelms and Gordon Strachan. No fight, no skill and no ideas from Steven Had a feeling this was going to happen since the 'nothing to prove' comment!Robert: Incredibly disappointing performance and unacceptable early days in Pressley's tenure so I hope that we improve greatly over the coming If this is what we as Dundee fans are in for this season, then hello Championship cohesion, no urgency and a manager - oops - sorry fist team coach who stood on the sideline doing absolutely nothing but hold his wee black stated he had nothing to prove! Well, Steven you have everything to prove! Stop being an upstart and get a team together or you will be gone by back, Doc. At least we had a real manager Elvis wasn't joking when he said "if you are looking for trophies and titles, I'm not your man". I'd be surprised if he lasts three Dire, absolutely dire. Slow, no movement, no urgency - worst I've seen at Dens in League opener against Hibs being only a few weeks away gives me the fear, we are miles off it.I don't think we can count on last season's fringe players stepping up and filling the boots of Cameron, Mulligan, Shaughnessy etc. We need see some experienced pros signed in key areas, especially some attacking creativity in What else did you expect after losing so much creativity in the midfield? We need creative players who can hold the defence and attack together. It will take time but we need new players in quickly the turn around after last season is too slow. Need to get creative players in Absolutely abysmal. After last season changes, this is the first season in my 54 years of following the Dee that I have no enthusiasm for the team. The hierarchy are killing our great club.
BBC News
14-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Dundee move 'just feels right'
"Why now and why Dundee?"The first question Brian McLauchlin asked Steven Pressley as he was unveiled as the new head coach on the answer:"It's a really exciting opportunity and one I'm exceptionally grateful for. I think it's a club that over recent years has shown the ambition and it's also got terrific history."So, I think there's big potential and I'm really excited by that. "In terms of my own situation, I think this summer was always a juncture in my life."I'd been at Brentford for four years, I'd just finished my degree, my daughter was finishing school - I felt I needed a new challenge and when I left Brentford, I put my CV in here and seven, eight days later I was a manager. So it just feels right."For the last couple of years, I certainly had that management itch and I just couldn't get rid of it."The attraction here is the club, but also Gordon [Strachan] being here, who I've known a long time and I think we're aligned. "It's a really good opportunity for me and one that I'm relishing."
Scotsman
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Former Hibs star completes transfer to Premiership rival as ex Scotland boss key to summer done deal
The latest transfer news from around the Premiership as a former Hibs star has a new club. Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs had already kicked off their summer transfer business by the time their push for a place in European competition came to a successful end. The first part of a unique summer transfer window came to a close earlier this week as Austrian goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger completed a move to Easter Road two months after Aberdeen midfielder Jamie McGrath put pen-to-paper on a pre-contract agreement to become part of David Gray's squad. There have also been some departures confirmed as Nohan Kenneh and Max Boruc both left the club after their contracts came to a close and experienced striker Dwight Gayle brought an end to his playing career. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A number of former Hibs players have also completed moves during the last week - and Drey Wright joined that list on Thursday when he agreed a two-year deal with Premiership rivals Dundee. The 30-year-old started his career with English club Colchester United before making a free transfer switch to St Johnstone during the summer of 2018. Wright moved on to Hibs two years later and made over 50 appearances before returning to the Saints on a free in July 2022. Former Hibs star joins Dundee After his departure from McDiarmid Park was confirmed earlier this month, Wright has now joined Dundee on a two-year deal and he revealed former Celtic and Scotland manager and current Dee technical director Gordon Strachan has played a key role in his decision. Speaking to the official club website, he said: 'It feels really good. As soon as I knew of the interest I was keen on the move and I spoke to a few people at the club and I'm really happy to get it over the line now. The move just felt right, I spoke to Gordon Strachan a few times and I felt it was a good fit with me for this time and I'm excited about the direction the club is going. 'My message to the Dundee supporters would be just to back us and for me personally to show me some faith at the start and I can repay that. The game is made a lot easier if your fans are onside. I've noticed that strong support playing at Dens over the years, it's hard for the opposition when the Dundee fans are right behind the team, so I would just ask the fans to back us as much as you can.' Your next Hibs read: Hibs transfer news: Sunderland talent in demand as competition for top Easter Road target revealed
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Pressley on managerial 'itch', bringing back the good times & his 'big influence'
Steven Pressley addressed the media for the first time since being announced as the new head coach of are the key things he said:Despite being out of management for five years, Pressley said "you never lose that itch".He is "aware how the business works" and knows the way to win fans over is "to win" but stressed there has to be "a period of growth" before success head coach says the club's "new structure is aligned with my style of management".Upon accepting, Pressley spoke with mentors Archie know and Alex and his team "aspire to bring back the good times".Pressley said Gordon Strahan was "a big influence" on coming to the head coach says they "have to change" the cycle of managers at the was "perfectly honest" and admitted if fans were "looking for a manager with a history of producing titles and winning honours then, I'm not your man" but added from "a development perspective" he's demonstrated that.
