Unbeaten: Reviewing Celtic’s historic season and Brendan Rodgers’ rejuvenation

Add as preferred source on Google

On Tuesday 12^th July 2016 a goal from Lee Casciaro provided Lincoln Red Imps, an ambiguous part-time club from Gibraltar, with a historic one-goal victory over Glasgow Celtic in the first leg of a Champions League second qualifying round tie.

It was Brendan Rodgers’ first competitive game in charge of The Hoops and it was lauded in the press as being ‘the worst defeat in the club’s history’. The Northern Irishman had arrived in Glasgow looking to rebuild a reputation that had taken something of a beating during the latter stages of his tenure at Liverpool – defeat in Gibraltar would certainly not have been the start that he would have wanted.

What a difference a season can make.

A moment like that can be definitive for any manager, and yet, Rodgers has been able to consign that defeat to the annuls of history. Ask any Celtic supporter to recollect their feelings throughout their triumphant 2016/17 campaign and it is unlikely that the game against Lincoln Red Imps would be anything more than an already forgotten memory. The Hoops comfortably overturned the one-goal deficit in the second leg of the tie and proceeded to embark on what is statistically one of the most successful seasons in the club’s history.

A historic domestic treble

10 months after the loss in Gibraltar the Celtic players, supporters and staff were celebrating an astonishing domestic treble that had been procured as a result of a historic unbeaten campaign on home soil.

The statistics are astonishing:

Brendan Rodgers’ side were unbeaten, winning 34 and drawing four of their league encounters to secure the Scottish Premier League title. Celtic finished the campaign with 106 points (a club record), having scored 106 goals (a club record) and conceded just 25 times. They had ended 30 points clear of Aberdeen in second place (a league record winning margin) and 39 points ahead of their fierce Old Firm rivals Glasgow Rangers. Oh, and they secured both domestic cups as well.

However, there are those that have looked to diminish these achievements. Critics lazily suggest that Celtic’s unbeaten campaign is an expected success considering the club’s financial power and scoff at the standard of opposition that they have faced.

True, the disparity in resources provides The Hoops with an immediate advantage over their rivals, and yet it still requires clear direction, planning and strategy to maximise such benefits. If going through a Scottish league campaign unbeaten is such a simple feat to accomplish, then why has it taken 118 years for a team to achieve it? To provide some context, the last Scottish team to finish a season undefeated were Rangers in 1899 when they played 18 league matches – at that stage, Celtic had yet to swap their stripes for hoops.

The influence of Brendan Rodgers

The driving force behind Celtic’s success this season is undoubtedly Brendan Rodgers. The 44-year-old has demonstrated his tactical expertise, made effective moves in the transfer market, and provided the players and club with a new lease of life.

On the domestic front, his possession-based style of football has swept aside the majority of opposition in an aesthetically pleasing and exciting manner. Opponentswho have attempted to go toe-to-toe with The Hoops have been ruthlessly shot down whist those that simply constructed flood barriers to try and keep the deluge of goals at bay failed to fare any better. From an attacking perspective, Celtic have averaged 2.7 goals per league game throughout the campaign.

Rodgers has been able to construct a squad that has the perfect blend of youthful innovation and experienced finesse. Whilst Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair, who scored 32 and 25 goals, respectively, across all competitions, will rightly receive a large array of the plaudits in their debut season with the club it is the re-birth of established figures such as Scott Brown that also deserves praise. Brown, who has made over 400 appearances for the club, has been rejuvenated under the guidance of Rodgers, so much so that he came out of international retirement and resumed his role in Gordon Strachan’s Scotland side.

http://gty.im/689227066

What next?

What next for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers?

The club have now won six consecutive Scottish league titles and it looks increasingly unlikely that their domestic dominance will be ended any time soon. However, The Hoops still fall significantly short of the mark when it comes to European competition and the prospect of qualifying for the Champions League knock out stage would appear to be some way off. Therefore the challenge is to maintain their hold over Scottish football whilst attempting to slowly build a side capable of being consistently competitive in Europe – something which is easier said than done.

For Rodgers, his debut season at Celtic Park has been a definitive success. The 44-year-old received some harsh criticism when he was sacked by Liverpool, despite coming within a Steven Gerrard slip of securing the Premier League title, but he has begun the process of rebuilding his reputation with relish. However, it is difficult to see Rodgers remaining at Celtic beyond the next twelve months should they continue to brush aside the opposition. He will surely feel that he has plenty to prove South of the boarder, and the high profile of the Premier League is a hard temptation for many to resist.

So, congratulations to both Celtic and Brendan Rodgers on completing a domestic season undefeated – a feat that may not be repeated for another 118 years.

Featured Image: All Rights Reserved Ai Kagou (Ai Kagou)