Former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill believes winning games will soon win over fans who are sceptical about the return of Brendan Rodgers.
An influential group of supporters, the North Curve Celtic, quickly posted an old photograph of a banner declaring the manager a “fraud” over his professed love for the club, in the wake of his appointment as manager for a second time.
Rodgers won seven trophies in a row first time round but his sudden exit for Leicester in February 2019 still stings some supporters.
“Not every single Celtic fan will be happy with it initially after the way he left the club,” O’Neill told BBC Scotland.
“But he was very successful, which is great. When you start to win a few football matches, you’re back in the rhythm again and everything’s going fine.
“Ange Postecoglou did a really fantastic job with the team and everything seems to be in good hands.
“Rodgers knows the club inside out and will still be working with some of the players that he left. If he wins some matches then everything else will fall into place.”
Former Hoops striker and pundit Chris Sutton believes it is crucial that supporters put aside their negativity towards Rodgers.
“Good luck to Brendan Rodgers going back to Celtic,” he wrote on Twitter. “He left previously under a cloud but no doubting his ability as a coach and his record last time round was phenomenal.
“It’s important regardless of how Celtic fans felt with his previous departure that everyone gets behind him.”
Former Celtic midfielder and coach Peter Grant believes the Northern Irishman can handle the added pressure that the scepticism will bring
“The way Brendan left – that’s what gets the Celtic supporters,” Grant told BBC Scotland. “It’s not down to his talent or quality of the manager.
“Outside of Manchester United, the pressure and expectation at Celtic is massive. It’s constant, it’s 24/7. Everybody is looking at what you are doing. If you have a draw, it’s a horrendous result.
“Brendan knows the expectation. He came through it saying he was a Celtic supporter. He’s had the criticism he received when he left. He’s had all that to deal with and it takes a strong personality to come back and come under that pressure again.
“There will be the extra pressure of supporters. I’m sure he can handle it and great credit to him for wanting him to come back and do it.”
Former Celtic full-back Mark Wilson believes Rodgers has no reason to apologise to supporters for the manner of his departure.
Wilson told Sky Sports News: “I genuinely think some fans want him to come out and say sorry and apologise. I don’t think that’s ever going to be the case and I don’t think he has anything to apologise for. He was a manager who wanted to progress his career in the richest league in the world.
“But I think they will want to hear assurances that he is here for the long term. I know things can change quickly in football, but they will want to hear that he’s got a plan to take this club forward in Europe and spend some time doing it, not just jump ship at the first opportunity.
“I think this time if an opportunity were to come up pretty quickly, he would turn it down, because I think he realises what a special club this is.”
Former Bhoys midfielder and assistant manager John Collins feels the suitability of Rodgers outweighs feelings over his departure.
“I was disappointed with how he left but the reality is you’ve got to look at what he did when he was at Celtic,” Collins told BBC Scotland.
“He was an outstanding manager and he delivered entertaining football and trophies.
“The supporters want the same thing and there’s not too many managers out there on the market that are ready-made for Celtic. It’ll be a seamless transition and he knows the club.”
Leipzig have 'everything you would want' – Celtic boss Rodgers
Celtic may be four points clear of RB Leipzig in the Champions League, but Brendan Rodgers is not underestimating the challenge that his side face on Tuesday.
The Hoops welcome Leipzig to Celtic Park on matchday four, for what will be the fifth meeting between the sides.
Leipzig have won three of the previous four encounters, with Celtic winning 2-1 in a Europa League match in November 2018.
While Leipzig, who are second in the Bundesliga, have lost all of their Champions League matches this term, Celtic bounced back from their heavy defeat to Borussia Dortmund by holding Atalanta to a 0-0 draw in their last European outing.
Rodgers' team come into Tuesday's clash on the back of a resounding 6-0 defeat of Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership, but Rodgers knows his side are in for a stern test.
"Leipzig are no different to Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta," said Rodgers. "A top team. They have everything you would want - speed, power, technique.
"It's a brilliant challenge for us."
After conceding seven goals against Dortmund on MD2, Rodgers explained Celtic knew they had to step up.
"You always have to learn and be better and we were against Atalanta, a really outstanding team," said Rodgers, who were perhaps fortunate not to concede against the Serie A side, given they conceded 2.4 expected goals (xG).
"We'll look to bring our energy to the game but we also know we'll have to defend for good periods of the game, play with concentration and commitment like we did against Atalanta," he said.
"There will be moments when we press with aggression and moments where we have to be controlled. Top teams will push you back and you have to have resilience."
After a run of 12 home games without a win at Celtic Park in the Champions League between 2013 and 2023 (D3 L9), Celtic have won their last two home games. They last had three wins in a row back in November 2007 under manager Gordon Strachan.
"Home games are very important at this level and when you want the result the supporters can bring you closer to that," said Rodgers.
"What the noise generates here is absolutely incredible.
"We will also need that bit of patience as well because we have to be educated in our pressure.
"We've got ourselves into a really good position after three games and now we have another opportunity to show we can pick up a result against a top team."
Returning fan favourite Alonso calls Liverpool 'one of Europe's best'
Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso hailed his former club Liverpool as "one of Europe's best" as he prepares for his Anfield return.
Alonso, who spent five successful years at Anfield and helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2005, returns to his former stomping ground when Leverkusen take on the Reds on Tuesday.
Arne Slot has won 12 of his first 14 matches in charge of Liverpool, including all three in the Champions League so far.
Leverkusen have only won one of their 11 away major European matches in England (D3 L7), and have lost their last two visits to Anfield, and Alonso is under no illusion as to the scale of the task that awaits the reigning Bundesliga champions.
"For us, it is a big challenge," he said.
"Liverpool at the moment are one of the best, if not the best, in Europe, they are showing that in the Premier League and Champions League, a good squad, great coach. We're looking forward to it. Let's see what happens.
"You can play 70 minutes great but in 20 minutes it [the game] is gone, so it is mentally and emotionally we need to be ready.
"In all areas, they are really strong, so the process works really well. [Slot] has done a fantastic job in three months."
Alonso played 210 times across all competitions for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, scoring 18 goals and providing 20 assists.
After winning the Champions League with the Reds in 2005, he helped them reach the final in 2007, though they lost to Milan on that occasion.
However, the Spaniard does not think he will have too much time for a trip down memory lane.
"Unfortunately, there is no time for tourism – maybe a little run or walk," he said.
"I know the city very well, I love it, but tomorrow I will focus on the game and only the game.
"It feels great to be back here after a few years. It's always special. You notice the development of the club; the new stand looks amazing.
"It is a big game against Liverpool, it cannot get much better than that."
The omens are not great for Leverkusen, though.
Liverpool have lost one of their last 21 European meetings with German opponents (W14 D6), albeit that one defeat came against Leverkusen in 2002.
“We want everyone involved”- Chung hoping for massive support for Reggae Boyz in Nations League Quarterfinal against USA
General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation, Dennis Chung, is hoping that Jamaicans come out in their numbers to support the Reggae Boyz during both legs of their CONCACAF Nations League Quarter-final at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday, November 14 and Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri on Monday, November 18.
The Reggae Boyz will be looking for revenge over their American counterparts after suffering defeat to them at the semi-final stage of last season’s Nations League 1-3 in extra time. The USA went on to win the whole thing with a 2-0 victory over Mexico in the final while the Reggae Boyz beat Panama 1-0 to claim third place.
If the Boyz are to get over the hump this time around, Chung understands that a massive part of it will be the energy they receive from the thousands of Jamaican fans in attendance.
“We are at the quarterfinal stage. We want to ensure that we are there in our numbers supporting the Boyz because we have to make it past the mighty USA which, after we finish with them, they won’t be so mighty,” Chung said in press conference on Monday.
As such, three support groups for Jamaican football-Reggae Boyz Supporters Club, Reggae Football Fans Club and Reggae Boyz Community, are all making it possible for fans from all over the diaspora to have an opportunity to cheer on the Reggae Boyz live and in person.
“We want to welcome this partnership because this is a way for us now to reach our fanbase. We want to ensure that everyone is involved. At the last two games we had over 17,000 people in attendance and that, for us, is very important. It’s not just about playing football. It’s about getting everybody involved,” Chung said on Monday.
Errol Walters and Louis Grant, members of the Reggae Football Fans Club, were also on hand on Monday and gave an overview of this initiative.
“It’s an honor and a pleasure to be serving our country in this way. What we’re trying to do is create an opportunity for fans in the diaspora that we use our collective bargaining power to negotiate to go to the games,” Walters said.
“There are times when I’m in London and want to go to a game and I have no one to travel with so it was always my dream to create a database to say listen, who’s going to the game from where,” Walters added.
Grant explained that this idea came about because of the desire of members of the diaspora to be a driving force behind the support of the team on their journey to the World Cup in 2026.
“This was birthed out a desire to be the proverbial 12th man for our football teams and more so for the second iteration of the historic trip to the World Cup. We, as members of the diaspora here in the United States, think it’s only right that we play our part in drumming up support as far as leveraging air travel, accommodation, and support,”
“For example, we’ve been in touch with US Soccer with regards to the game in St. Louis. We’ve gotten a section that we can have all or most of our supporters concentrated to create that ‘Office’ vibe,”
“In my experience, we’ve gone to games in my area and you’d see our supporters and our flag sparsely across the various stadiums and we are of the opinion that if we were more concentrated in one section, it bodes well or it is a better look and feel for our team,” he added.
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