Managing Celtic: Brendan Rodgers plan ripped up as free agent joins

Brendan Rodgers resigned as Celtic manager on Monday evening, with major shareholder Dermot Desmond labelling his recent behaviour as "divisive, misleading, and self-serving" in an extraordinary statement. He leaves the Hoops eight points off top spot in the Scottish Premiership table, with five wins from nine league matches.

Rodgers was appointed Celtic boss for the second time in July 2023 after a successful spell with the club between 2016 and 2019. He led Celtic to back-to-back league titles and a place in the last two editions of the Champions League. But Desmond has now alluded to a "toxic atmosphere around the club". And the Parkhead giants have appointed 73-year-old Martin O'Neill to take charge on an interim basis. Express Sport takes a look at his top three priorities.

Sign a free agent

Celtic stumped up cash to back Rodgers in the transfer market over the summer as Sebastian Tounekti, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Shin Yamada, Benjamin Nygren and Hayato Inamura were all brought in.

The club also targeted players leaving other clubs at the conclusion of their contracts, with Kieran Tierney and Kelechi Iheanacho the two biggest names to arrive for free.

O'Neill will need to be industrious in his efforts to add quality. And the interim boss, who was the permanent Celtic manager between 2000 and 2005, could persuade Takehiro Tomiyasu to move to Scotland to shore up the defence.

Tomiyasu has been without a club since leaving Arsenal in the summer. And his arrival would be a major coup for the Scottish outfit if he can prove his fitness. Renan Lodi, Diego Laxalt and Juan Bernat are other free transfer options.

Overcome his team's physicality issues

O'Neill will need to rip up Rodgers' plan and start afresh if he wants to have more success than the former Liverpool boss managed during the early stages of the season.

And the veteran manager will have to improve the physical aspect of his team straight away after identifying a key issue just hours before he succeeded Rodgers.

"Celtic can still play some beautiful football, but you have got to add to that by being a bit physical," O'Neill told talkSPORT on Monday. "When teams are physical against you, you have got to be able to do that.

"Celtic are not as physically strong, can actually lose games, whereas before they looked invincible in matches."

Inspire togetherness at Parkhead

Desmond's statement about Rodgers was damning, with the 75-year-old even appearing to question the ex-manager's integrity by claiming: "The facts did not match his public narrative."

Whoever is in the wrong, clearly things are difficult behind the scenes at Parkhead.

And O'Neill will need to get everybody pulling in the same direction as a matter of urgency if Celtic want to move forward on and off the pitch.