IT'S THE WAY HE TELLS THEM

Rodgers warned Celtic in wake of Kyogo's exit that he needed quality to take team forward... but message fell on deaf ears

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JUST 197 days ago, Celtic came within seconds of beating Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.

Often cast as Europe's whipping Bhoys, Brendan Rodgers' men went toe to toe with a powerhouse.

An agonising last-gasp equaliser from Alphonso Davies denied Celts extra-time and shattered dreams of a result that would have sent shockwaves around the world.

Yet, for all the heartbreak, it felt like the start of something special.

Celtic had finally regained some pride on the continent and were on the verge of making serious inroads at the highest level.

Six-and-a-half months on, they find themselves in the Europa League after crashing out to minnows Kairat Almaty from Kazakhstan - unknowns lower than St Johnstone in UEFA's coefficient rankings.

Amid a summer transfer window full of frustration, Rodgers saw it coming. Fans saw it too.

But the board appeared to head into the £40million playoff blindfolded, failing to plug the gaping holes in a team stripped of its key assets.

Since Kyogo Furuhashi's departure in January, Rodgers' warnings have been crystal clear - yet they fell on deaf ears.

Now comes the fallout between raging supporters and a silent boardroom.

Here, Record Sport looks back at five messages from Rodgers this year that have proved eerily accurate.

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

ALARM BELLS RINGING

"I think it's something [signing a new striker] that I said clearly we wanted to do, we wanted to have that support at the top end of the field. We didn't manage to do that.