Journalist says Rodgers to blame for £19k-p/w Celtic star’s decline this season

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers must take some responsibility for Kyogo Furuhashi’s recent dip in form alongside the rest of his team, as journalist Dean Jones pinpoints the showings of the Japanese international as a concern at Parkhead.

The Hoops aim to win their third consecutive Scottish Premiership title at the end of the 2023/24 season but have endured a recent wobble in results domestically.

Rodgers hoped to return to winning ways upon his re-appointment at Celtic Park but could find himself with a genuine chance of ending the campaign trophyless if the side’s form does not improve. Celtic’s have been inconsistent since the turn of the year, and they risk sacrificing what once looked like a comfortable lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Rodgers’ return to Celtic

Celtic re-appointed Rodgers as their head coach ahead of the 2023/24 season, following Ange Postecoglou’s departure to Tottenham Hotspur after winning a domestic treble last term. The 51-year-old left Parkhead in February 2019 to join Premier League outfit Leicester City, where he guided the Foxes to two consecutive fifth-placed finishes and their first-ever FA Cup triumph.

However, Rodgers was sacked at the King Power Stadium in April 2023 after overseeing most of the season, which saw the one-time Premier League champions relegated to the Championship. The Northern Irishman’s return to Celtic had initially started well, with his side being clear of their arch-rivals Rangers in the Premiership title race.

But with 26 games of the campaign played, the Gers sat two points ahead of the Hoops in the table before gameweek 27, despite having been beaten on the two times they have faced their Glasgow rivals this term. Celtic also missed out on the Viaplay Cup after being knocked out in the early stages by Kilmarnock, whilst the Bhoys host Livingston in a Scottish Cup quarter-final on 10th March.

In November 2023, Jones suggested to GIVEMESPORT that Celtic needed investment in the playing staff after the Glasgow giants crashed out of the Champions League by finishing at the bottom of their group. However, a quiet winter means Rodgers must put his energy into attempting to wrestle the top spot in the Premiership from Rangers.

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