It’s been a sad few days for Celtic – well, a sad last nine months if we’re honest – but events of recent days has certainly underlined the doom and gloom around Parkhead.
Last Sunday, the Hoops failed to beat newly-crowned Premiership champions Rangers in what would’ve been the Gers’ first defeat of the season.
Beating Steven Gerrard’s side – who are 20 points clear – and spoiling their unbeaten run might’ve provided small consolation for them wrecking Celtic’s 10-in-a-row bid.
One of the reasons behind their stunning nine successive Premiership titles was captain Scott Brown, who confirmed today that this is his last season at Lennoxtown in news that has gutted so many of the club’s fans.
Now Celtic must begin the difficult task of finding a long-term replacement for the 35-year-old, but the club have already sold the player who Brendan Rodgers once tipped to be his long-term successor.
Rodgers brought Eboue Kouassi to Glasgow in January of 2017 and a year later, the current Leicester City manager said this to The Record: “Eboue’s brilliant in training, he does everything, and longer term he will certainly fulfill that role when Scott moves on.”
Rodgers got a lot right at Celtic – just look at his medal collection as evidence – but he got this one wrong, considering Kouassi was sold to Genk in Belgium last summer after only 22 games for the Scottish giants in four years.
The Ivorian showed glimpses of his potential under Rodgers, but injuries and a lack of form made it difficult. Even without those factors, nothing ever really suggested he was going to take over from Brown when the veteran midfielder called it a day.
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