Brendan Rodgers and Celtic were heading for divorce but acrimony was avoidable | Ewan Murray

Celtic, once the most successful club in Scotland, finds itself at a crossroads as Brendan Rodgers' abrupt departure has left behind a trail of bitter acrimony and unanswered questions. The root cause of this toxic atmosphere lies with Dermot Desmond, the 75-year-old majority shareholder, who has made no secret of his disdain for Rodgers.

The timing of Desmond's public outburst, which painted Rodgers as "self-serving" and guilty of a breach of trust, raises eyebrows. Had Desmond truly believed that Rodgers was a poor fit, there would have been an opportunity to address these concerns sooner rather than leaving the manager with just months to turn the season around. Instead, Desmond waited until now, after Celtic's title was secured with weeks of margin, to unleash his wrath.

Rodgers himself has never wanted this second spell to end in such a sour manner, and it is difficult to see how his departure can be attributed solely to third-season syndrome when so much went wrong behind the scenes. The failure to sign key players during the summer and January transfer windows was a clear point of contention, as was the lack of attacking reinforcement that left Johnny Kenny starting upfront.

While Rodgers was undoubtedly the driving force behind Celtic's footballing decisions, it is unfair to blame him for the squad's regression in recent months. Players brought in at significant fees – Auston Trusty, Arne Engels, and Paulo Bernardo – have failed to deliver on the pitch, with Daizen Maeda being particularly affected after a Bundesliga move fell through due to Celtic's inability to replace him.

O'Neill's return to Celtic as manager has generated excitement among fans, but it is clear that Rodgers' departure was more than just a personnel change. The lingering problems within the club go far beyond individual player performances or managerial decisions. Lingering issues with the board and the structure of the team will need to be addressed if Celtic hopes to reclaim its status as Scotland's top club.

Desmond's attack on Rodgers may have provided closure for some, but it only serves to raise more questions about the club's leadership and its commitment to building a winning team. As Rodgers looks to rebuild his career, he would do well to explore opportunities where he can drive change from within rather than being forced out by acrimony and recrimination.

I'm worried about Celtic's future. The whole situation with Rodgers' departure just feels really messy . Desmond's timing on blasting Rodgers was super shady, especially after they'd already secured the title . It's like he was trying to make a point rather than being fair to the manager .

I also think the club needs to sort out its transfer strategy - those signings from last summer and January didn't quite work out . And yeah, Rodgers wasn't the only one who could have made mistakes, but at least he's been up front about his decisions .

O'Neill might bring some excitement back to the club, but we need to see more than just a fresh face . We need to address the underlying issues that led to this toxic atmosphere in the first place . Desmond needs to take a long hard look at himself and how he's affecting the team .

It's not just about Rodgers' departure - it's about whether Celtic wants to be a team that settles for mediocrity or actually strives for greatness . If they can figure that out, we might see them back on top in no time

ugh i dont know lol i was so sure bradley dodgey rodgers was the problem but then again what if he was just a scapegoat for desmond's own mistakes the more i think about it, the less certain i am about who to blame... maybe its not even that simple and its like all of them are equally to blame? my mate thinks odens is gonna do better but im not so sure he has that much experience as a gaffer

Ugh, Desmond is such a joke . Can't even manage his own ego and then has the nerve to take it out on Rodgers. Like, who does that? It's so unprofessional . And now they're saying Rodgers was "self-serving" but what about all the drama behind the scenes with players not signing and stuff? It's not fair to pin everything on him . O'Neill might be a nice guy and all, but I don't trust him to sort out this mess . Desmond needs to take responsibility for his own mistakes and stop trying to deflect blame . Rodgers deserves so much better than this .

I'm really disappointed in what's going on at Celtic right now. It feels like the whole situation is just a mess . Rodgers was doing a great job, and it's so unfair that Desmond had to go and create this toxic atmosphere . I mean, why wait until after they'd won the title? It just shows that Desmond only cares about himself and not the team or its fans .

And what really gets me is how Rodgers is being blamed for everything that's gone wrong . The players he signed didn't work out? That's on the board, not him! He did his best with the squad he had, but it was still a struggle to sign key players in the first place .

We need some real change at Celtic, not just more of the same old stuff . The fans deserve better than to be left wondering what happened behind the scenes . Rodgers' departure is just the tip of the iceberg – there are deeper issues that need to be addressed .

I'm not surprised Desmond went after Rodgers like that . It's been obvious for a while now that there were some major issues with the squad and the team's dynamics, but nobody wanted to talk about it . And now that they've had time to think, everyone's blaming Rodgers for it . Newsflash: just because he was at Celtic doesn't mean he's responsible for all of those problems . I mean, come on, who's been running the ship around here? Desmond himself ? It's easy to point fingers when you're not the one making the decisions . Rodgers might have left under acrimony, but at least he got a trophy out of it . O'Neill's coming in now, and I'm not exactly filled with confidence about his chances of fixing everything that went wrong .

This whole situation is just so sad for Celtic FC... I mean, Brendan Rodgers has always been a huge fan favorite and it's unfair that the drama with Desmond is overshadowing his amazing achievements on the pitch . The timing of Desmond's outburst is just suspicious and it looks like he was trying to sabotage Rodgers' chances of success.

I think Rodgers deserves so much more respect from Desmond and the board, especially after everything they've put him through. It's not just about third-season syndrome or poor squad performances – there are deeper issues that need to be addressed . Celtic has such a rich history and reputation, but if they don't sort out their internal problems, it could be hard for them to reclaim their status as Scotland's top club .

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Rodgers will bounce back from this and find a new challenge where he can drive positive change . And I hope the Celtic fans will rally behind him – they're the real heroes here!

I think it's super unfair that Dermot Desmond is being so petty about Brendan Rodgers' departure. Like, if he was really that bothered by Rodgers' decisions, he should've said something sooner instead of waiting till after Celtic won the title. It's like, Rodgers did his best with the squad he had, but still managed to win the title...

And honestly, I think Desmond is just worried about losing control of the club . Rodgers was a big part of the team's success, and now that he's gone, Desmond can try to shape things in his own image. But let's be real, it's not gonna be easy for Celtic to go back to being Scotland's top club without a solid manager like Rodgers.

I think Desmond's timing was super dodgy, waiting till after Celtic won the title to trash Rodgers like that. It feels like a PR stunt to make him look like a hero, but really it just highlights how much power he has behind the scenes. Rodgers wasn't even given a fair chance to sort out the squad issues before he got sacked, and now O'Neill's in and people are saying it'll be a smooth transition... yeah right The truth is, Celtic's problems run deeper than just one manager or player. It's all about the boardroom dynamics and how much Desmond wants to win. Until those issues get addressed, they won't be able to regain their former glory

I'm shocked at how fast Celtic's dynamics have shifted since Rodgers left. The timing of Desmond's public outburst feels really suspicious – it's like they wanted to create a toxic atmosphere before the season even ended . Rodgers didn't just get the sack because he wasn't performing well; there were deep-seated issues within the club that needed addressing.

It's unfair to blame Rodgers for the squad's regression, especially with players like Trusty and Engels failing to deliver . Daizen Maeda's situation is a perfect example of how Celtic's inability to replace him left him struggling. And now O'Neill's in charge, but let's not forget that the real problem lies within the board and the club's structure.

Desmond's attack on Rodgers has created more questions than answers . What kind of leadership does Desmond have when it comes to making tough decisions? How will Celtic rebuild with a new manager who hasn't even had a chance to settle in yet? It's time for some real change behind the scenes, not just a quick fix at the top .

I'm thinking... Celtic's situation is like a mirror reflecting the darker corners of human nature . We see this toxic atmosphere created by Desmond, but it also raises questions about our own capacity for empathy and understanding. Can we truly say we're doing the right thing when we allow personal agendas to cloud judgment? Rodgers' departure feels like a ripple effect, revealing deeper issues within the club's structure and leadership. It's a reminder that growth and progress are rarely linear, but rather messy and iterative . The real challenge for Celtic lies not in finding a new manager, but in confronting these underlying problems and working towards genuine change .

I think Desmond's timing is super sus, it's like he just wanted to ruin the momentum of a title win! Rodgers did have his issues, but it's not all on him, there are some major problems with the board and squad signings . Rodgers was a driving force behind Celtic's success, so it's not fair to just blame him for everything. The real question is what's going on behind the scenes? Is Desmond just trying to exert control over the club? I feel like we'll be seeing more of this toxic drama in the future .