A former Premier League star reckons Brendan Rodgers is en-route to a new Celtic contract with the chance to make history this season.The Irishman’s stock has returned to the highs he experienced in his first reign, amid a 100% record at the start of this season, including a 5-1 smashing of Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League. Celtic return to the competition on Tuesday away to Borussia Dortmund.Paul Robinson – a former goalkeeper at Leeds, Tottenham, Blackburn and Burnley – reckons Rodgers may sign a new Celtic contract. Amid a faltering domestic challenge from Rangers, he believes Rodgers will have sights on history in Europe and then saddle up for the long haul.Robinson told Football Insider:“You’re always going to get linked when you’re a manager who’s successful and doing well. A football club like Celtic, the size and history of the place, that’s enough to keep a manager at the club itself.
Brendan Rodgers has been to the Premier League, not like Ange Postecoglu, not like Steven Gerrard at the time when they got taken away from the Scottish Premier League. Brendan Rodgers is a manager who’s been there and done it in the Premier League, he’s managed Leicester and he’s managed Liverpool, and now he’s gone back to Celtic.
“There is a huge draw for him at Celtic with the Champions League, what a fantastic result they had and the biggest thing for them is they want to get out of the group stage. This new format, they’ve got a great opportunity, I looked at their home draws, home to Leipzig is going to be tough.Home to Club Brugge, a game against Young Boys and the Bratislava team, they’ve got a real opportunity here. We’re in uncharted territory with this new Champions League format, nobody knows what the magic number is.
To finish in the top eight, I liken it to the Premier League, to stay in the Premier League we always talk about the ’40 points’ you need every year. I can’t remember the last time you actually needed 40 points, I think this year it’s going to be 28/30 points the way it’s going.
“So what I’m comparing it to is in the Champions League we don’t know how points are needed for this top eight, or top 16 if you like. So looking at Celtic’s home games, I think their Champions League draw is easier than Rangers’ Europa League draw in all honesty.
“Going back to Brendan Rodgers, he’s got an opportunity to make some kind of history there this season. Not only in the league, the way things are going, Rangers look to be falling away a little bit for want of a better phrase.
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