Celtic win Scottish Premiership: Brendan Rodgers wins title again

'Rodgers' Win Based On Strong Faith And Confidence'

Take a look at the goals that secured the championship for Celtic.

The principal sports journalist at BBC Scotland

There was no helicopter involved and there was no final battle or thrilling end scene.

Instead, one could see the customary vision of Brendan Rodgers with raised arms, gesturing hands, and a smiling face. Once more, they emerged victorious with another championship title.

This victory was unique in many aspects compared to his previous wins, however it brought the same amount of happiness and sense of accomplishment.

A portion of the Celtic fans were hesitant about his return and didn't show an enthusiastic welcome. However, after a dominating 5-0 win that secured the Scottish Premiership title, they were all captivated by him during the Kilmarnock game.

Awards possess a special power of dispelling any negative emotions in an instant.

In the 2016-17 season, he won his first league championship and absolutely dominated the competition without losing a single game. For his second championship, it was a bit more challenging and he faced some setbacks along the way. However, in the end, he still managed to secure a comfortable victory.

He has successfully managed and supervised the third project completely, with some signs of arrogance, but not too many.

The triumph was achieved through strong conviction and determination, despite facing challenges on the field and disruptions off the field.

The win against Rangers and other teams was definitely a success, but it was also a championship achieved while managing Celtic's internal issues, which were quite plentiful.

Rodgers came through at the last minute and what an exciting journey it has been.

This was the most challenging conflict he experienced during his tenure at Celtic. It was vastly different from his initial existence where he could only detect the scent of roses in the morning breeze.

Throughout most of the season, sulphur has been prevalent.

Currently, their score stands at 90 points, exceeding the sum of points that prevailed as the totals for the winning titles in the seasons from 2012-13 (79), 2015-16 (86), 2017-18 (82), and 2018-19 (87).

If they emerge victorious in their last league encounter versus St Mirren this coming Saturday, they will surpass their record from the 2014-2015 season and also equal their figures from 2011-2012 and 2021-2022.

Ups And Downs Of A Season

This season shouldn't be ranked so high among Celtic's 12 championship victories in the last 13 years, but it is. It doesn't seem like it, but it's true.

It is doubtful that Rodgers will respond to the question, but it makes you curious about how he would rank winning this trophy among his other achievements as the manager of Celtic.

Which is more fulfilling - a smooth experience where everything falls into place or a challenging one where you must navigate through various obstacles?

The three main players that were crucial during Ange Postecoglou's time as coach have now been separated - Jota, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Liel Abada.

Jota was sold for a large sum of money, whereas Abada departed in a profoundly sorrowful manner that was solely related to mortal existence and not linked to the sport of football.

Kyogo has remained with the team, but he hasn't been performing as confidently as he did in previous seasons. This is reflected in his goal totals, which have decreased from 35 last season to 19 this season.

Cameron Carter-Vickers, who is the defensive captain for Rodgers, was unable to play for a third of the league season due to injury. Reo Hatate, who is a skilled player alongside Callum McGregor and Matt O'Riley in midfield, missed over half of the season due to injury.

At certain times during the season, Celtic performed well, but it was not consistent. They frequently had to work hard and push themselves against a resurgent Rangers team, who only lost momentum towards the end.

During the start of December, Celtic managed a 3-1 victory over St Johnstone even after being behind by 1-0 at half-time. According to Rodgers, he was extremely furious during half-time, claiming it as the angriest he has ever been as a manager.

He commented that the initial part of the game did not meet the standards of a Celtic player or squad. The game's energy, motivation, and pace were disappointing and considerably lower than expected.

"We were targeted and harassed for the score and we lacked toughness both on and off possession."

After a period of ten days, they suffered a loss of 2-1 against Kilmarnock, as they had already lost to them earlier in the League Cup. Then, just six days later, they faced a 2-0 defeat against Hearts while playing with a noticeable absence of enthusiasm and conviction, as remarked by Rodgers.

We had never heard him say these things before.

He expressed remorse to his fans and admitted that he has never had to do so due to a poor performance before. He criticized his team, labeling them as "extremely inadequate".

Rodgers requested high-caliber players during two distinct times of the year when transfers take place. Unfortunately, he was not granted the exact level of talent that he had hoped for.

After the January transfer window, he stated that we could potentially take more risks by recruiting players at a higher level.

During the month of February, the Celtic team was facing a challenging match against Motherwell at Fir Park. Rodgers made a strategic decision to substitute Tomoki Iwata with Paulo Bernardo.

The supporters of the Celtic team expressed their disapproval with boos, indicating the high levels of tension and pressure experienced by the reigning champions during that period.

He commented that it feels odd to be jeered at for substituting a defender with an attacker. He finds the response to be unfavourable, and he can't comprehend why it is so.

Celtic emerged triumphant from the game, having scored three goals to their opponents' one. Their success was sealed by two goals that came in the latter stages of the match.

The season was particularly notable for its thrilling endings.

Back in September, they were tied at 1-1 with Motherwell but managed to secure the win with O'Riley's goal in the 97th minute. Similarly, in February, they were tied at 1-1 with Hibernian until Idah came through with a goal in the 92nd minute.

Afterwards, there was a match against Motherwell that seemed destined to end in a tie of 1-1. However, Idah and Luis Palma each managed to score a goal in the 94th and 96th minutes, respectively, ensuring a secure win for the team.

The last-minute goals made a significant impact on the game's outcome, as it could have resulted in either accumulating three or nine points.

Celtic Surge As Rangers Falter In The Heat Of The Race

In February, Celtic had a 1-1 tie with Aberdeen at Pittodrie and the feeling amongst the supporters was quite negative.

During the game, a group of visiting fans displayed a banner that read: "The responsibility for this lies with the Celtic board."

Some strange occurrences took place. Allegations of casual sexism were made against Rodgers by For Women Scotland and the Scottish Feminist Network due to a comment he made to BBC Scotland journalist Jane Lewis.

During a press briefing after the dispute, he expressed his sadness for the community, as he believed that the matter was blown out of proportion.

At the beginning of March, Celtic was defeated by Hearts once more. Rodgers commented on the lack of skill of the referees in making specific calls, which led to him being charged by the Scottish FA and prohibited from being on the sideline.

This was not the invincible Rodgers of his previous performance, it was not a person who had complete command over his territory.

He talked about individuals dismissing him and revisited the subject after triumphing over Rangers once again last weekend.

Despite any difficulties he may have encountered, Rodgers' authority over the teams closest to Celtic remained unchanged.

Celtic rose to the occasion during a tight race for the title while Rangers crumbled and failed. Although it wasn't their best performance, they managed to overcome challenges and come out victorious thanks to their intelligence and strong mentality.

Now Celtic can eagerly anticipate all the money they earned from the Champions League and will undoubtedly prioritize providing Rodgers with the level of talent he's been demanding.

It's highly likely that they will become even stronger during the summer. Many believe that Rangers had the opportunity to surpass them this season, but failed to do so.

If Celtic can make their transfers correctly, that opportunity may not appear anytime soon.