IT has become known around these parts as the Brendan stare.
Whenever a journalist asks a question which a certain Mr Rodgers, currently residing at Kerrydale Street, is not hugely fond of then the Irishman’s eyes burn through you to the extent that the back of the brain begins to melt.
I’ve had it. Most of us have. It’s not the most pleasant thing in the world because the Celtic manager has a way of making you squirm while struggling to get more words out which, in your rather own pathetic mind, will make him like you again.
Or at least not think you’re a divvy.
Read more: Craig Gordon believes relentless Brendan Rodgers can close gap to Celtic's Euro rivals
On Friday night, after his team had dismantled Partick Thistle with the ease Vladimir Putin and his pal Donald Trump are going to dismantle the western world, he was rightly asked about Leigh Griffiths and whether he could expect a run in the team.
After all, last season’s golden Bhoy set up the first goal, had a hand in the second and quite brilliantly scored his tenth of a campaign, which for reasons outwith his control has been up and down. Apart from that, he was actually great because the guy is a genuinely great footballer.
So, Brend, what about oor Leigh? Then came that stare.
Now it would be wrong to read the mind of the man – which is exactly what I am doing – but his demeanour did suggest that he wasn’t keen to go down the road of Griffiths becoming an automatic starter.
Read more: Craig Gordon believes relentless Brendan Rodgers can close gap to Celtic's Euro rivals
Maybe he didn’t want to big up his player, perhaps this is a manager who doesn’t like putting too much praise on someone who has not been in the eleven since Bonfire Night, or is it the case that Moussa Dembele will be brought back in on Tuesday night against Hamilton without a moment’s hesitancy?
Let’s go with the last one.
Griffiths has done nothing wrong. Indeed, he has done just about everything right for 18 months now. He was terrific in Maryhill; In fact, he was Celtic’s best player along with Scott Brown until he got injured earlier in the season.
However, it does appear that he may have to show a bit (lot) more patience before he isn’t sitting down at the first whistle. Rodgers loves Dembele – who can blame him – and the exciting young Frenchman is almost always going to be first picked striker.
Scottish football’s best finisher for the best part of four years finds himself in a difficult situation. He wants to play, would never let his team down, is good enough and yet for the moment he’s a sub.
A year ago, Griffiths was about the only reason to watch Celtic. Now he can’t get a game!
He is a hard man not to like. He can be daft but he’s not stupid. Griffiths does a lot for ordinary punters which doesn’t make the papers. His lifestyle has been a car crash in the past but this is a good guy we are talking about. A heart of gold and all that.
What he has to do now is grit his teeth for a bit longer, realise that being left out can happen to the very best, and make sure he is ready, as he was on Friday, when he does get a start.
Griffiths one day will score 100 goals for Celtic. It might just take him more time than he thought. His reaction thus far to Dembele’s promotion has been exemplary – although he was unhappy about getting so little time in the League Cup Final.
And rightly so. He deserved more than a few minutes of running around.
Griffiths is being tested right now, a test few of us saw coming, and he just has to keep the heid, as they say. His time will come again.
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