A MOTY What If – Treble Winning Brendan or Europa League winning Barry

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The Celtic Star

·2. April 2025

A MOTY What If – Treble Winning Brendan or Europa League winning Barry

Alan Rough reckons that if any manager wins a Treble, they should win the Manager of the Year award but what if a rival wins a European trophy?

Partick Thistle 1971 – Scottish League Cup final. Alan Rough holding trophy in dressing room. Photo social media

The former Hoops goalkeeper was speaking to the rest of the PLZ Soccer panel this week regarding who is in contention for the gong this term and stated without equivocation that if Brendan Rodgers should complete a domestic clean sweep, it isn’t even a debate.

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Celtic on course to make it four-in-a-row in a matter of weeks

The Irishman has already secured a League Cup against the club’s main rivals back in December, whilst he is ahead by 13-points in the Scottish Premiership and on course to make it four-in-a-row in a matter of weeks.

Meanwhile, a Scottish Cup semi-final awaits Rodgers and his men against St Johnstone on Easter Sunday this year at Hampden Park with either Hearts or Aberdeen on offer should Celtic make the final – which is most likely.

Brendan Rodgers with the Premier Sports Cup after Celtic’s victory over theRangers on 15 December 2024 at Hampden Park. Photo Kenny Ramsay

Stranger things have happened in football

It’s hard to see St Johnstone getting past the Hoops but then again, stranger things have happened in football. Then again you only have to look at the photograph of Alan Rough and his Partick Thistle teammates from 1971 after beating a top quality Celtic side managed by Jock Stein 4-1 in the League Cup Final. And more recently who gave Queen’s Park any chance at all when they went to Ibrox in the Scottish Cup a few weeks ago?

Jefte of theRangers appears dejected at the end of the Scottish Cup match between Rangers FC and Queens Park at Ibrox on February 09, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The former Liverpool boss is no stranger to the cup competitions and particularly the occasions which involve the national stadium, so will feel confident that he can get the job done once again this year. Nothing is a guarantee but he’s been over the course many times before and has this Celtic team firing this term, even in Europe.

It shouldn’t be up for debate

Should he complete this sweep of domestic silverware though, Rough has stated it shouldn’t be up for debate who takes the prize. The man who won the League Cup with Partick Thistle against the Bhoys in 1971 admitted Falkirk’s John McGlynn is in with a shout otherwise, but that Rodgers should be number one if he leads Celtic to the Scottish Cup too.

“John McGlynn must be in with a shout, but again, a manager winning a Treble should always be the manager of the year,” he stated on PLZ Soccer and the panel all agreed with his assertion.

IF Wee Barry wins the Europa League…

Rough did put a madcap suggestion out there too, stating that if the current Ibrox interim boss won the Europa League, he would have to be in contention…

Steady now, Roughie! What do you think about that?

🗣️'A manager who wins a treble should always be manager of the year'. Alan Rough believes Brendan Rodgers will have no competition for MOTY despite other managers' achievements. 📲Download the Arnold Clark App NOW
– Montag, 31. März 2025

State of play at the moment

Callum McGregor and Brendan Rodgers with the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden Park on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Other than the Premier Sports League Cup nothing has been won. Brendan is well ahead in the League and has to beat St Johnstone and either Hearts or Aberdeen in the final to complete the treble. For Barry he has Basque club Athletic Club from the beautiful city of Bilbao to get past to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League. He’s certainly got the toughest task of the two managers.

Paul Gillespie

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