In the tumultuous theatre of Scottish football, Celtic have often been cast in a melodramatic light, one that flickers between glory and gloom with the speed of a strobe.
Brendan Rodgers, the orchestrator behind Celtic’s recent symphonies, has pointed out what he perceives as a prevailing wind of media bias that blows harder and colder in Celtic’s direction, while a gentler breeze seems to favor Rangers, particularly under the fresh leadership of Philippe Clement.
After the latest twist in the title race, I can’t help but think: could Rodgers be onto something?
Brendan Rodgers Celtic
Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
First, the narrative of the underdog may play a significant role here. Rangers, emerging from financial tumult and lower league entry after liquidation, are now perceived as the scrappy underdogs, although don’t tell that to their support. Does this position endear them to a narrative of redemption any time they come close to Celtic, especially when many in the media don’t need encouragement to be positive about the Ibrox club?
In contrast, Celtic’s recent history of dominance positions them as the established force, where anything less than victory is a disaster, and perfection is expected as the norm.
Expectations distort perception. Celtic’s successes under Rodgers the first time around have recalibrated expectations to such lofty heights that maintaining them becomes an endless struggle. Each slip, each draw feels like a tumble from grace, rather than a stumble on a path well-trodden by every club up and down the land. This phenomenon isn’t unique to football; it shadows many a champion team, where dominance breeds not just followers but a fierce chorus of critics.
Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
Then there’s the allure of the new. Clement’s arrival at Rangers injected a fresh narrative into the media bloodstream, offering a new chapter that’s ripe for exploration and embellishment. Fresh starts are intoxicating, and they provide the media with fertile ground for stories of transformations and new dawns. Celtic’s ongoing saga, helmed by Rodgers, lacks the novelty factor, making their achievements, no matter how stellar, somewhat less ‘newsworthy’ by comparison.
The media landscape in Scotland is as competitive as the football itself, with outlets often leaning into the narrative that will most engage their readership. With Rangers and Celtic’s fanbases being colossal, there’s a journalistic tug-of-war to cater to both, but also to provoke, engage, and sometimes inflame. Simply put, they’re getting more clicks from talking down Celtic and talking up their rivals. Anyway you slice it, Brendan has a point. For example, you wouldn’t know by what’s out there that Rangers have won just two games in their last seven. Had that been Celtic, there would be all manner of headlines catering to that end.
With only five games remaining, and a title still up for grabs, it’s imperative for Celtic to not just play football, but to play the narrative. Every match is a chapter, and while they cannot control the media’s pen, they can certainly influence the storyline with their performances on the pitch.
Five victories would not only secure the title but would also serve as a compelling counter-narrative to the season-long discourse. It’s a clear path laid out for the Bhoys in green: focus, fight, and finish what they started without slipping into the pitfalls of complacency or capitulation.
Celtic Players
REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
In a season where the scales of media judgment have seemed more uneven than usual, Rodgers and his team need to balance their own scales by turning potential energy into kinetic achievements.
Let the headlines write of victories, the columns count the points, and let the final whistle in May be the loudest word. After all, in football, as in storytelling, the ending is what resonates most.
IF Celtic can claim the league, they won’t just be champions of Scotland, but champions of their own narrative—a story rewritten under the very pressure that sought to undermine them.
