The appointment of Dean Smith at Aston Villa would have brought a sigh of relief among the Celtic faithful. But they are again going to be a worried lot as recent reports from the Mirror suggests that Newcastle United can go after the Celtic manager if Rafael Benitez fails to resurrect the slide which his side is going through currently.
The Magpies are one of three teams who are still winless in the Premier League, and they currently occupy the 19th spot. Nottingham Forest got the better of them in the Carabao Cup tie, and that has added more pressure on the Spanish manager.
Aston Villa were struggling in the Championship, and one can understand why Brendan Rodgers didn’t go for that job. However, something like this might interest him as Newcastle are a top-tier outfit with great history and tradition. Rumours are also doing the round that Rodgers and Celtic CEO Peter Lawwell don’t share the best of relationship and the primary cause is said to be the summer transfer window debacle where the Hoops not only failed to land their targets but also lost some of their crucial players.
However, going to Newcastle for the transfer debacle would be ironic as Rodgers cannot expect much backing from Mike Ashley who has often been blamed for not matching fans and manager’s ambition. The Toon still have their highest transfer record from 2005 intact when they signed Michael Owen for £16m.
The next three fixtures are said to be ‘make or break’ for Benitez. To be fair to Rafa, his team endured a tough start in the league as they have already faced five of last year’s top six sides. After the international break, the run of fixtures are set to ease out, and that is where his real test begins. The Hoops faithful would hope that Benitez carries on at St. James’ Park.
The Scottish giants have consistently gone through some major distraction regarding one thing or another since the beginning of the season. First, it was Dedryck Boyata who made himself unavailable from selection, then Moussa Dembele pushed his way out of the club and lastly recent rumours about Rodgers leaving for Aston Villa. All this might take a toll on their on-field performance.
It is likely that Rodgers’ next destination would be in England but leaving Celtic mid-season would do more harm than good to his overall reputation. His achievements at Celtic Park has been unparalleled including a season where they went unbeaten. All that would be undone if he decides to leave the club before the winter. Rodgers had earlier claimed that he is still committed and ready to take on the challenge this season.
