Strachan’s Celtic and Rodgers comments show Scottish football’s issue

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Gordon Strachan seems to have some interesting views on the importance of the Celtic job.

Gordon Strachan is widely considered to be a legend at Celtic Park, courtesy of his many accomplishments from his four years in charge of the club.

For some reason, though, his relevance in the present day continues to be overplayed by the man himself and the media. The 61-year-old is coming off the back of a relatively poor tenure as Scotland boss, and now, he seems to be telling Sky Sports how Brendan Rodgers should be handling his current position as Celtic manager.

“He’s not done all he can,” said Strachan told Sky Sports.

“If you are leaving Celtic, it has to be for a heck of a job, when you’ve got a chance to continue the success he’s enjoying at the moment.

“They’re in the Champions League, that’s the big bonus. I’m sure he wants to say ‘We’ve not qualified yet, I want to qualify and play the real big boys of the competition.’ That’s what Celtic gives you. Okay, there are some games that are kind of academic, but you get on with it, you win.”

There is a great deal to take from what Strachan said, but above all else, he states that Rodgers would need to be leaving the Scottish giants for ‘a heck of a job’.

If you were to read between the lines, it seems as if he is insinuating that replacing Arsene Wenger as the new manager of Arsenal Football Club would not come under that category.

Not only does that seem incredibly short-sighted, but it also highlights the major issue within Scottish football. Much like League One in England for big teams who get relegated, the Scottish Premiership is seen as something of a rehab league for players and managers alike. It is where they go to gain some confidence and find success in a less competitive league, before heading back out into the heftier challenges out there.

There seems to be this bubble created within the country that simply attaining Champions League football is a sign of success, when in fact it is not.

Celtic’s European record speaks for itself and it is clear to see that if Rodgers stays, he would not be intending on building a legacy, he would just be smart enough to realise that the Arsenal job would be a huge risk for him.

Strachan seems to have this mindset that Celtic are still considered to be a relevant entity within world football, but that could not be any further from the truth.