Question marks raised over Brendan Rodgers Celtic legacy as snarling boss' decision to tear into Hoops fans was 'a big call'

Pat Nevin reckons there are ‘two big questions’ over how Brendan Rodgers will be remembered as Celtic manager - the club’s European struggles and the manner in which he departed for Leicester City at the end of his first spell.

The Hoops boss finds himself in the club’s top five based on the amount of trophies won so far, but ex-Chelsea and Scotland hero Nevin believes a run in the Champions League would go a long way to boosting his profile in the eyes of Celtic supporters.

He feels a small minority of fans still can’t shake the way the former Liverpool and Swansea boss quit his role at Parkhead to return to the English Premier League at the first opportunity.

Nevin told Grosvenor Sport: “When it comes to the legacy of Brendan Rodgers at Celtic there are two big questions. One is the European struggles after Martin O’Neill got all the way to a final and obviously Jock Stein got all the way to the European Cup final and won it as well during a time in which they were a powerhouse in Europe.

“But in reality it’s not about trophies he didn’t win, it’s about the fact that he left. In terms of trophies he is in the top five but not all Celtic fans would agree with that, if he had one great European campaign then that could change, the thing in the background is about him leaving.”

Celtic fans ‘won’t like being told what to do’

Nevin also had his say on the Northern Irishman’s decision to call out supporters for the lack of patience after venting his frustration over the reaction to his side playing too many backward passes during last Sunday’s 3-0 Premiership win against St Mirren.

He also claimed some fans who were chanting about January transfer target Kieran Tierney were being disrespectful towards current first-choice left back Greg Taylor.

He commented: “Seeing Brendan Rodgers having a go at Celtic fans was really interesting because managers don’t do that sort of thing.

“It’s a really big thing to do and many parts of the Celtic fan base won’t like being told what to do or being told they don’t know what they’re talking about.

“A bunch of them won’t like that so it was a big call to say something, but ultimately they are going to win the league again and already have one cup, so it could well be another treble season.”