Resolved: Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic Dressing Room Crackdown

The days of Celtic’s team news being leaked ahead of matches appear to be over, at least for now, following Brendan Rodgers’ recent crackdown on the issue.

Intermittently, over the years, line-ups would find their way onto social media or into the inboxes of fans and media hours before kick-off, but that trend seems to have been halted after a recent surge of every man and their dog getting the team well ahead of kick off.

Speaking to the Celtic manager earlier in November with the rest of the media, Rodgers was clear about his feelings: “There are no real secrets in Football, that’s the reality. But it’s not nice when it gets out there. And especially if it’s from Celtic supporters.

“It might feel great for someone’s ego to put it out and pass it on to other people. But as a manager, I can tell you that I’ve had that before with opposition teams. And when I’ve got to know about it, it has really helped me in my preparation – and it has helped me win Games.

“So whoever is putting it out, if it’s someone from Celtic, you’re not a Celtic supporter. Because you’re not helping Celtic. We will do everything we can to find out (who it is). But I don’t get angry about it. It’s the modern world now, isn’t it? There’s so much communication

“But I’d like to think it won’t be until you play Celtic and you’re standing in front of them that you feel our intensity. You can never know that until you play against us.”

At CeltsAreHere, while we never published leaked team news, it was not uncommon to receive advance messages detailing the starting XI.

A search of social media often confirmed similar information circulating widely. However, since Rodgers publicly addressed the problem, these leaks have dried up.

Now, as Celtic prepare for their fourth match since Rodgers called out the issue, no such information has surfaced—indicating that the club look like they have successfully tightened its internal processes.

While some fans appreciated the advance knowledge, the practice undermined the club’s preparation and Brendan Rodgers bemoaned it gave our opponents a potential edge.

While it may mean less early insight for supporters, stopping team news leaks is ultimately a positive development for the club. Keeping line-ups under wraps ensures Rodgers and his team can implement their plans without interference or unnecessary distractions.