‘Never in all my years’ – Chris Sutton reveals what ‘did shock’ him about Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic exit
Chris Sutton has been taken aback by the situation at Celtic Park following Brendan Rodgers’ “shock” exit last month.
Columbus Crew’s Wilfried Nancy is a candidate to replace the Northern Irishman, alongside the likes of Ange Postecoglou, Kieran McKenna, and Robbie Keane, but the race is wide open.
However, for now, Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney remain in charge, and their first job was to oversee Celtic’s 4-0 win over Falkirk ahead of facing Old Firm rivals Rangers in the League Cup semi-final.
Postecoglou has been told to reject Celtic, but with the Hoops trying to move forward after Rodgers, Sutton is still mulling over the situation after Dermot Desmond weighed in.
Dermot Desmond baffles with Brendan Rodgers’ departure
Desmond wrote a scathing review of Rodgers’ departure, clearly attempting to take some of the pressure off him amid the club’s struggles, but it did not seem to help at all.
“What did shock me was the subsequent statement that came from Dermot Desmond. Never in all my years as a player or a pundit have I seen or read anything quite like that,” Sutton wrote via the Daily Record (1 November).
“It was an annihilation of Brendan. An absolute slaughter job, and it didn’t sit well with me. Now I understand there will be people out there who think that Desmond is quite right to give his side of the story, the side from the board.
“But I don’t feel Brendan ever caned the board. He wanted better work in the transfer market and said as much, but he didn’t directly criticise. Desmond did more than criticise.
“He took a flamethrower to Rodgers’ character, and I’d have to wonder what prospective incoming managers would make of that.“
Who could become the next Celtic boss?
The Celtic hierarchy has certainly backed themself into a corner over the club’s current situation, but several candidates are circling Celtic Park as the manager search continues.
Football Insider understands that McKenna is open to leaving Ipswich Town, with the lure of Champions League football potentially too much to turn down for the manager currently in the Championship.
After taking Ipswich to the Premier League, McKenna would be an incredible choice for the Hoops, but not such a simple one to complete in the middle of the 2025-26 campaign.
For now, O’Neill and Maloney appear to be doing a sound job in the dugout, but the pair should not be seen as a long-term fix after the success that Rodgers brought to the club.