How Irretrievable Collapse Resulted in a Brutal Parting for Brendan Rodgers & Celtic FC

Merely fifteen minutes after Celtic released the news of Brendan Rodgers' shock departure via a brief short statement, the bombshell landed, courtesy of the major shareholder, with whiskers twitching in apparent fury.

In 551-words, major shareholder Desmond savaged his old chum.

The man he convinced to join the team when Rangers were gaining ground in 2016 and required being in their place. Plus the man he again relied on after the previous manager left for another club in the summer of 2023.

So intense was the severity of his takedown, the jaw-dropping return of the former boss was practically an secondary note.

Two decades after his exit from the organization, and after a large part of his recent life was given over to an continuous series of public speaking engagements and the performance of all his old hits at Celtic, Martin O'Neill is back in the manager's seat.

Currently - and maybe for a while. Considering comments he has said recently, he has been eager to secure another job. He will see this one as the perfect opportunity, a present from the Celtic Gods, a homecoming to the environment where he experienced such success and adulation.

Would he relinquish it easily? You wouldn't have thought so. Celtic might well make a call to sound out Postecoglou, but O'Neill will act as a balm for the time being.

All-out Attempt at Reputation Destruction'

O'Neill's reappearance - however strange as it may be - can be set aside because the most significant shocking moment was the harsh way Desmond described the former manager.

It was a forceful endeavor at character assassination, a branding of him as untrustful, a perpetrator of untruths, a spreader of misinformation; divisive, deceptive and unjustifiable. "One individual's wish for self-preservation at the expense of others," stated he.

For somebody who prizes decorum and sets high importance in dealings being done with confidentiality, if not outright secrecy, here was another illustration of how abnormal things have become at Celtic.

Desmond, the organization's most powerful presence, moves in the margins. The absentee totem, the individual with the authority to make all the important decisions he pleases without having the obligation of explaining them in any open setting.

He never participate in club AGMs, dispatching his son, Ross, instead. He seldom, if ever, does media talks about the team unless they're hagiographic in tone. And still, he's slow to communicate.

There have been instances on an occasion or two to defend the organization with confidential messages to media organisations, but no statement is made in public.

It's exactly how he's wanted it to be. And that's just what he contradicted when launching all-out attack on Rodgers on that day.

The official line from the team is that Rodgers resigned, but reviewing his criticism, line by line, you have to wonder why did he allow it to get such a critical point?

Assuming Rodgers is culpable of all of the accusations that the shareholder is alleging he's responsible for, then it is reasonable to ask why was the manager not removed?

He has accused him of spinning things in public that did not tally with the facts.

He claims Rodgers' statements "have contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club and fuelled hostility towards individuals of the executive team and the directors. Some of the abuse aimed at them, and at their families, has been entirely unjustified and improper."

What an remarkable allegation, that is. Legal representatives might be mobilising as we discuss.

His Ambition Clashed with Celtic's Model Once More'

Looking back to better times, they were close, Dermot and Brendan. The manager lauded the shareholder at all opportunities, expressed gratitude to him every chance. Brendan deferred to him and, truly, to no one other.

It was the figure who took the criticism when Rodgers' returned occurred, post-Postecoglou.

This marked the most controversial hiring, the reappearance of the prodigal son for some supporters or, as other supporters would have put it, the return of the unapologetic figure, who departed in the difficulty for Leicester.

The shareholder had Rodgers' support. Over time, the manager turned on the charm, delivered the victories and the trophies, and an fragile truce with the fans turned into a love-in again.

It was inevitable - always - going to be a point when his goals came in contact with the club's operational approach, however.

It happened in his first incarnation and it transpired again, with bells on, recently. He spoke openly about the slow process the team conducted their transfer business, the interminable waiting for prospects to be secured, then not landed, as was frequently the situation as far as he was concerned.

Repeatedly he stated about the need for what he called "agility" in the transfer window. Supporters concurred with him.

Even when the club splurged record amounts of money in a twelve-month period on the expensive one signing, the costly Adam Idah and the significant further acquisition - all of whom have cut it so far, with Idah since having left - the manager pushed for more and more and, often, he expressed this in openly.

He planted a bomb about a internal disunity within the team and then walked away. When asked about his comments at his subsequent media briefing he would usually downplay it and nearly reverse what he said.

Lack of cohesion? No, no, all are united, he'd say. It looked like he was engaging in a dangerous strategy.

A few months back there was a story in a publication that purportedly originated from a insider close to the club. It claimed that the manager was harming the team with his public outbursts and that his real motivation was managing his departure plan.

He desired not to be there and he was engineering his exit, that was the implication of the story.

Supporters were angered. They then saw him as similar to a martyr who might be removed on his honor because his board members did not support his vision to bring triumph.

The leak was damaging, of course, and it was meant to harm Rodgers, which it did. He called for an investigation and for the guilty person to be dismissed. Whether there was a probe then we learned no more about it.

By then it was clear the manager was shedding the backing of the people above him.

The regular {gripes