Why Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic prophecy may claim him as a victim

It is fair to say that the atmosphere inside Parkhead Celtic reached toxic levels as the champions stumbled to a second Premiership defeat against Hearts after last weekend's loss to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Chants of 'Sack the board' and 'Lawwell get to f***' were audible within the stadium as things got heated in the vicinity of the director's box following goals by Lawrence Shankland and Stephen Kingsley had condemned Brendan Rodgers' men to a shock 2-0 league loss.

There appears to be something rotten in the state of Denmark right now when it comes to everything Celtic. What has gone wrong? Who is to blame? The board? The manager? The players? The summer recruitment?

There are more questions than answers in the conundrum that is Celtic at this minute.

READ MORE: Chris Sutton denies Celtic 'crisis club' verdict amid Rodgers warning

Even Chris Sutton reckoned that Rodgers had to shoulder responsibility for recent poor domestic results but stopped short of saying the club were in crisis. He said: "Crisis club Celtic? Still top of the league, an insipid performance today by all accounts and there are Celtic fans out there who will blame the board. 

"They can blame the fact that there’s a section of the Celtic support which still aren’t allowed inside Celtic Park.

"But surely Brendan Rodgers has to take some responsibility. He’s gone back, last season it was Angeball, but the level of performance has really dropped this season and Brendan has to carry the can for that.”

First things first, Rodgers' Celtic in terms of style and entertainment appear to be a pale imitation of the side that was rip-roaring, free-scoring and never-boring under Ange Postecoglou.

When Kingsley bent in the second goal at the weekend there seemed to be a meek resignation of their fate and that the points had slipped away after just 30 minutes. Under the Aussie, his Celtic team would probably have rallied and won 4-2 or 5-2 and that's what the supporters in the stands would have expected to happen.

The team that finished Saturday's match was a terrible indictment of the recruitment process under Mark Lawwell in the summer. Of the eight players who were recruited permanently in the summer, just two were in the squad - Luis Palma and Kwon Hyeok-kyu.

David Turnbull and Mikey Johnston both started the match despite the clock running down on their respective deals. The lesser-spotted Argentine full-back Alexandro Bernabei even made a guest appearance too.

One can argue the toss but it certainly looks like the end of the road for the likes of Turnbull and Johnston and it probably should be - as well as for many others. If you also add Swedish defender Gustaf Lagerbielke's up-for-sale saga into the mix then you get a rough idea of the kind of trying circumstances that the current Celtic manager is working under.

Celtic spent decent money in the summer as the club brought in ten players. However, it was Rodgers who made the rod for his own back when he issued these words: "It's pretty simple in terms of how it works. Ultimately, I will develop and coach the players that the club provide me, and the process of the club providing me with the players is we have a great network of scouts headed up by Mark (Lawell), who I've said before has done a fantastic job within the model of the club, which allows the club to be sustainable and successful at the same time.

"So, they have a pipeline of players that will fit in, but then it's about packaging the profile that fits us best and of course, I play a part in that. But they do a lot of great work; they watch players over several months so that they have various players for each position."

That stance seemed to change entirely at the AGM when Rodgers said this: "No player has been pushed onto me. We have a structure and set up and we are planning for the longer term in our signing strategy. I make the final decision on whether we sign a player."

On Saturday against Hearts, Rodgers's initial comments came home to roost as he simply had to work with what he had been given. The manager does not like the cards he's been dealt. He's spoken about it often enough. Quality has been the watchword but not on Kerrydale Street.

However, the manager is not entirely exempt from criticism here either. The Northern Irishman has to once again start showing the qualities that made him as an elite-level manager.

That's why there was a collective jaw-drop from the Celtic supporters when in the aftermath of the Hearts defeat he admitted that he wasn't surprised by the display. Rodgers had read his players the riot act at half-time in Perth against St Johnstone but they rallied and got a result. They then failed to turn up for the second half at Rugby Park and duly lost. They were simply not at the races against the Edinburgh men which forced him into issuing a public apology to the Celtic supporters for the first time.

READ MORE: Celtic's Rodgers apologises to the fans after Hearts defeat

When asked if the performance levels surprised him, Rodgers said: "Not, if I am honest. It is about consistency and mentality and I have seen it from within the team occasionally. It is my job to inspire the team and to produce the levels that are required here."

That's not Christmas bells that are ringing that's the clanging chimes of doom.

When a manager readily admits that he failed to inspire his players to produce the levels expected of a Celtic player and team - that has to be a massive concern. Or at least it should be.

Celtic looked a disorganised shambles against Hearts. They looked bereft of confidence and ideas. The team were as passive on the field as their manager was off it. That is all on Rodgers.

On the day he was unveiled as Celtic manager for a second time after signing a three-year contract back in June, a bullish Rodgers told everybody this: "Listen I've signed for three years, I guarantee I'll be here for three years unless I get emptied before that, as they say up here!"

He then went on the famous steps at Celtic Park outside the door and quipped: "For those who I need to convince, I will see you here in May." Even then it all seemed a tad presumptuous.

There is still plenty of time for Rodgers to turn the club's fortunes around this season but at this critical juncture in the campaign, the men in green and white are not playing or functioning like a team that will make it three Premiership title wins in a row come May.

Traditionally, December is the time of year when all talk turns to the Messiah and the 'Three Wise Men' from the East bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. If you canvassed the Celtic faithful right now the only three gifts they want are three wins from their next three Premiership matches against Livingston, Dundee and rivals Rangers.

Anything less would see Saturday's grumblings of discontent reach a crescendo and any Messiah-like status that Rodgers has enjoyed in Glasgow's East end will evaporate overnight.

You don't need to be Balthazar, Caspar or Melchior to tell you if Celtic's Scottish Premiership results don't improve soon enough then ironically it is Rodgers who will turn out to be the victim of his prophecy.