Celtic's Brendan Rodgers surely tickled by short-list snub after poking bear as Rangers rival endorsed

Celtic manager is will relish the lack of recognition as he plots knock-out Rangers blows

It was an invite that reeked of hubris. Brendan Rodgers does not lack self-awareness to the extent that he was oblivious to the temperature.

He knew it was cool. He could feel it. It was certainly a lot cooler than when he arrived the first time as Celtic manager. A whole stand had been reserved for well-wishers as opposed to the small semi-circle of fans he saw before him as he completed his second unveiling duties in June last year.

And what did he have to say to the stayaways? What was his message to the doubters among Celtic’s own support, who were a little less than enthused about the return of someone who’d walked out a little less than four years earlier? “I will see you here in May,” he said outside Celtic Park 11 months ago. It was pure Rodgers. Pure theatre. An invitation to an awards ceremony a near year in advance. All that was missing was a reminder to wear a dickie bow.

"I will see you here in May" - Brendan Rodgers at his unveiling in June last year (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group).

His point was that he had enough faith in himself to be confident of being where it mattered when the important honours are handed out. And that’s true, he might well be. Indeed, it will be surprising if he’s not.

He is a win against Rangers away from all but securing a Scottish title, which would be his eighth domestic trophy from nine over two spells at Celtic. And if he adds another Scottish Cup with a victory over the same opponents later this month, nine from ten.

However, it’s now been confirmed that he won’t be where it matters when the Scottish Football Writers’ Association (SFWA) manager of the year gong is presented, just as he wasn’t there when the PFA Scotland’s version of the same award was announced.

Falkirk manager John McGlynn won that one and Rodgers, it's emerged, was among the first to phone to offer his congratulations. One Invincible to another. Rodgers, one assumes, will have agreed with the decision to anoint McGlynn. It’s hard to argue against the claim of someone who hasn’t lost a league game all season, no matter the level.

Rodgers with James Forrest at full time during a cinch Premiership match between Dundee and Celtic.

But he might be curious and perhaps even a little tickled to see Philippe Clement's name featuring on the SFWA shortlist along with McGlynn, Dundee's Tony Docherty and Derek McInnes of Kilmarnock. His Old Firm rival, like McGlynn, already has a trophy in the cabinet, although Clement was involved in only two of the four matches of Rangers' successful League Cup campaign – a win against Hearts and a narrow victory in the final against Aberdeen.

It’s notable that Celtic, eliminated by Kilmarnock before Clement had even started to consider Scotland as a career move, did not need to be negotiated, which is just as well because the Belgian is still waiting for his first victory over the Parkhead side after two attempts. Rodgers has previously noted somewhat bullishly that he’s seen off five Rangers managers. It’s going pretty well so far as the sixth is concerned.

Of course, many football writers voting for Clement will have done so because it was felt that someone potentially just over a fortnight away from winning a treble in his maiden season should and could not be ignored. Indeed, this would be a landmark achievement. There was also a victory over Real Betis in the Europa League, Rangers' first-ever competitive win away to Spanis .

But Rodgers is on the cusp of a double. And while the days when this was an achievement to ring out through the ages has passed, it will be worth recognition. Bar a plastic pitch at Kilmarnock, Rodgers might now be gunning for a treble. How he must rue that evening in August at Rugby Park. But then Kilmarnock had already proved, and have proved many times since, that they are a force to be reckoned with under McInnes, who has rightly been recognised during the current awards season.

All of this won’t concern Rodgers. Indeed, he will savour the apparent snub, if that's what it is. He has the chutzpah to ride it out. He will relish the thought of proving people wrong. There’s plenty of work required before he can say he’s done that, of course. Celtic could still finish trophyless, leaving him looking like a prize chump and with no one to meet outside the Parkhead front porch later this month.

Rodgers knows that a title can be decided on fine margins – it can hinge on a slip, literally. But Rangers preparations for this weekend have been far from ideal. They include a player reacting to fan abuse while signing autographs.

Rodgers, meanwhile, can afford to be Mr Laid-Back from Lennoxtown. He has poked the bear in the form of his "fun" comment after last weekend's win over Hearts. Whether intentional or otherwise on the Celtic manager’s part, it drew a reaction from Clement. Disrespectful? Rodgers might argue that he’s the one who’s been disrespected.