If there was a suspicion that the divorce courts were looming at the end of a fractious summer, Celtic and Brendan Rodgers embarked on something of a second honeymoon at the club’s annual AGM yesterday afternoon.
The rancour of a transfer window in which Rodgers made public his displeasure – “I think we all see that I’m not very good at hiding it” – seemed almost as distant as the emotive, turbulent exchanges that have marked these Celtic gatherings in the past.
This one was a show of unity, about a board, a chief executive and a manager offering a sense of the collective. If Celtic’s social media account had tweeted the meeting, it might well have been with a love heart emoji after every update.
It was there in the opening video shoots in which Iain Bankier, Peter Lawwell and Rodgers all said their piece to camera in an overview of the last 12 months but it was never more apparent than when the inevitable question came from the floor regarding the conducting of business in the summer.
With money in the bank there was frustration at the public manner in which Celtic lost out on John McGinn and the failure to land further targets. Rodgers was unequivocal in his criticism in the final weeks of the transfer window but as Lawwell offered up his case for defence, it was the Celtic manager who intercepted to take charge.
And where there was an edge to the questioning of Lawwell – “I thought you’d say that” as soon as Odsonne Edouard’s £10m fee was mentioned – Rodgers’ involvement was the placatory offering.
“The success we’ve had in the last two and a half years has been about this collective,” the 45-year-old told the shareholder. “A collective performance on the pitch because that, for me, is where it all starts. And very importantly off the pitch.
“I’ve always had here since I’ve been at Celtic is a great support from the board. Listen, we’re all human. When you work closely with people, like you’ll do at work or in your relationships, it’s not always singing and dancing every single day.
“What I can always say about the board here is their job is always to future proof the club. This club has been run immaculately for a number of years. From the time I’m here and from the time when I’m gone, it will continue to be.
“The guys who are here do an incredible job collectively with me and the team in order to be the best we can be. For two and a half years, the supporters, the board, the management, we’ve all been one. And we’ll continue to be one. Okay, we’ve had disappointment in the summer and, like I say, we couldn’t hide that.”
The sense of grievance over the transfer window might not have dissipated quite so easily had the club assembled its shareholders six weeks back. Since then, though, Celtic have returned to the summit of the table and in the process have unearthed players who had been in the underbelly over that long summer.
The hangover following the failure to land a third successive season of Champions League football has eased with the current optimism regarding the Europa League, a platform where Ryan Christie recently showcased his credentials.
“What we’ve also found in the period when we didn’t bring in maybe who we wanted to, we’ve actually found some players as well in the likes of young Christie,” said Rodgers.
There was briefly the suggestion of some animosity with a small section declaring themselves disgruntled at the club’s handling of the continued resolution 12 issue, something Celtic believe remains an ongoing issue.
The meeting was laced with humour, a little of which came at the expense of the club’s rivals. As one observer chewed over the call to send Celtic to Murrayfield for the Betfred League Cup semi-final against Hearts while claiming that Rangers were given preferential treatment, Lawwell quipped; “that worked out well for them…”
There were the eccentricities that always mark these occasions – God Bless the Bunnet raised a laugh while one meandering questionless statement took as long to deliver as its orator took to get to Glasgow from the North of Scotland – but the most optimistic suggestion was directed to singer Rod Stewart given his much flouted Celtic credentials.
Taking to the floor, Boaby McCulloch offered this: “I read that Rod is supposed to be worth £179m. In that case, since he’s such a big fan of the club, couldn’t the board ask him to donate £20m towards the building of their hotel? It would be a great legacy for him.
“If the directors want to take my details, I’ll be willing to accept a reverse charge call from him.”
The only call from Celtic Park just now is a mating one as the love in continues.
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