As criticisms go, this was a bizarre one. John Barnes coming out and taking a bit of a pop at Brendan Rodgers was a real eyebrow raiser.
Barnes has got a bit of a cheek saying Rodgers has an easy life at Celtic. As someone who has been the manager of the club, you’d think he’d know better.
It wasn’t easy for him during his time in charge. It didn’t look easy falling 20-odd points behind Rangers in the title race back then. It wasn’t easy to beat Inverness Caley Thistle in the Scottish Cup.
If anything, Barnes made a difficult job harder than it was. I loved Barnes as a player. But to suggest Rodgers has an easy life in Scotland is laughable.
Let’s be clear, Rodgers had made it look easy. This is a manager who is on track to win 12 out of 13 competitions he’s entered.
I don’t care what state Rangers or whoever else are in, that is a remarkable return. It’s up there among the best any boss has managed at the club or in the country.
The consistency shown over his two spells has been incredible. It’s not easy winning every week. It’s not easy dealing with the demands of having to win every week and every single trophy.
And not many managers are capable of dealing with it. Ask Martin O’Neill if the Celtic job is a breeze. Ask Gordon Strachan, or Neil Lennon, Ronny Delia or Ange Postecoglou.
Yes, Celtic might have a bigger budget than the rest, but making it count is a difficult balancing act.
This is a job where draws are a disaster and defeats are a catastrophe. Across the city the demands are similar and it’s churned up plenty of managers.
Barnes went on to admit there are unrealistic expectations of the club in the Champions League. What part of that is easy then?
Celtic managers are expected to get to the
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