Parke - players.bio

I presume Brendan Rodgers will simply bypass Celtic’s board and speak directly to Dermot Desmond about his summer transfer budget.

Desmond, the effective owner of the club, was the man who ignored all others in positions of authority to make Rodgers the highest-paid manager in the history of Scottish football following Ange Postecoglou’s departure for Spurs a year ago. Organ grinders and monkeys and all that kind of stuff.

The howls of protest from those who were outraged by that decision to welcome Rodgers back never at any point registered with Desmond. And never will influence him in any way. Now Rodgers has arrived at a re-run of that time in 2000 when Desmond bankrolled Martin O’Neill to cover the arrival of such as Chris Sutton, John Hartson and Alan Thompson at Celtic Park.

Winning the league title, and the Champions League windfall that comes with it, means Rodgers has access to more money than ever before. Fans have always been told expensive players come with the complication of demanding a lot of money in wages.

Are Celtic, with well over £100million at their disposal, not in a financial position now where they can afford exotic transfer fees and lavish salaries? Rodgers, on a reputed wage of £3million a year, has proved conclusively that you get what you pay for.

Over at Ibrox, meanwhile, they are carrying out an
inventory of their own while awaiting the Scottish Cup Final with Celtic on Saturday. Adding that trophy to the Viaplay Cup would surely equate with a fairly successful season for Philippe Clement after inheriting a mess from Michael Beale.

Losing – and going a complete season with no wins over Celtic – adds up to a guilty verdict. The gallery Clement has played to for weeks will now form the jury

Brendan Rodgers Chris Sutton Hugh Keevins John Hartson Philippe Clement Michael Beale Dermot Desmond