A YEAR TO REMEMBER: After 12 months which have seen his Celtic side lose only twice, Rodgers can enter 2025 with a spring in his step

While Celtic’s season has yet to be fully defined, Brendan Rodgers is still entitled to allow himself a moment of satisfaction as the old year draws to a close.

Twelve months ago, the Northern Irishman’s Parkhead sequel was lacking the box office appeal of his debut campaign first time around.

Saddled with a raft of underwhelming summer signings, the manager lost a domestic cup tie in Scotland for the first time, at Kilmarnock, and collected a string of hard-luck stories in the Champions League.

In the Premiership, his side failed to beat St Johnstone, Hibs and Motherwell. When another loss to Killie was followed by a reverse to Hearts in December, poor old Santa Claus even got it in the neck from irate supporters.

Had it not been for Rangers’ dismal start under Michael Beale, Rodgers’ chances of winning the title would have been fast diminishing. While Celtic did end 2023 with a prized victory over the Ibrox men, the dawning of the New Year found them with much room for improvement. This challenge was met head-on.

Despite only adding Adam Idah (initially on loan) and Nicolas Kuhn in January, Rodgers presided over the necessary uplift in results.

Reo Hatate set the seal on a comfortable evening with the fourth goal at Celtic Park

Record signing Arne Engels opened the scoring from the penalty spot

The only defeat they suffered in 22 games in all competitions before the summer came in controversial circumstances at Tynecastle on March 3.

As they closed out the league and cup double, the concern of the chasing pack was that a summer reboot would make the chance of a repeat of that lax start to the campaign unlikely.

Belatedly enjoying the full backing of his board, Rodgers was able to break the club’s transfer record twice in one window to land Idah permanently and Arne Engels.

With Kasper Schmeichel, Luke McCowan, Alex Valle and Auston Trusty also on board, plus Paulo Bernardo’s return secured, Celtic have since gone up a level.

Rodgers’ side have five points more than they had acquired after 17 games last season, the only blips being draws with Aberdeen and Dundee United. Just four goals have been conceded in that sequence, compared with 12 at this time last year. The League Cup is back under lock and key. Performances in the Champions League have been converted into nine points and a gilt-edged chance of making the play-off round.

Remarkably, since that defeat in Gorgie almost 10 months ago, the only other loss Celtic have suffered came on that dark night in Dortmund.

By any possible measure, 2024 has been a very good year for the team and its manager.

‘This time last year we’d lost a couple of games and drawn maybe three,’ Rodgers recalled.

‘I can’t have too many complaints really. I heard someone say the other day there’s no need to panic.

Rodgers has had a wonderful year during which his team have lost only twice

Engels fires home the spot-kick that put Celtic on path to 4-0 win over Motherwell

Maeda celebrates with Scales after nodding home the second goal on Boxing Day

‘That was an interesting one. Some of the supporters were saying there’s no need to panic because we drew a game.

‘Until this point this year, the players have been absolutely fantastic, having only lost two games (in 2024).

‘One of them was away with 10 men and then one against the Champions League finalists.

‘Apart from that, the players’ mentality and their focus and their drive has been relentless. We want to finish off 2024 in a really good way and the players have been superb.’

It says much about the improvement in the side that the record sale of star man Matt O’Riley to Brighton now barely merits a mention.

Given the components he wanted, Rodgers has constructed another winning machine.

Schmeichel has filled the void created by Joe Hart’s retirement. Trusty looks every inch a £6million central defender. Kuhn is now fit, firing and scoring for fun. McCowan and Idah give the squad true depth.

The team now creates more chances than it used to and yields far fewer at the other end.

‘It’s always the balance in identity,’ Rodgers reflected. ‘I think that’s been a really pleasing aspect for me as a team. I like a team that’s adaptable and can play in all the phases of the game.

‘This is a team that, as you have seen, can press, can be aggressive, can be relentless within that. There’s also times when they can play on the counter-attack. There’s also times when they can defend that wee bit deeper and be resolute.

Nicolas Kuhn fired home the third goal after coming on as a substitute

The German star is congratulated by team-mates Maeda and Furuhashi

Engels was delighted to open the scoring from the penalty spot just before the interval

‘And then there are games where we can really dominate and create. So, I think that’s been a pleasing aspect over 2024, the adaptability in the team to play in different phases of the game.

‘Our intent is always to create goals and score goals. But that also is through your defensive tightness and organisation and pressing. As a team, the balance has been really good.’

No player typifies the evolution of the team across 12 months more than Kuhn.

Notwithstanding the fact that the winger arrived in Scotland with health issues, he showed little in his early forays to suggest he could make such a telling contribution.

Having missed last Sunday’s draw at Tannadice with a knee issue, he stepped off the bench against Motherwell to net his 13th goal of the season.

With each passing week, the £3m Celtic paid Rapid Vienna for the German looks like an extraordinary piece of business.

‘It’s nice to pick up where I left off,’ said the 24-year-old. ‘I just tried to continue the way I’ve started this season and I was happy to get the goal.

‘I don’t really set targets. The most important thing for me is to stay fit after a full pre-season with the team.’

A young player with huge potential, Kuhn is classic Rodgers territory. Engels falls into the same category.

An £11m signing from Augsburg, the expectations which surround the Belgian are impossibly high.

His display against Motherwell — which involved a converted penalty and a corner which led to Daizen Maeda’s goal — suggested his recent dip in form is now behind him.

‘I think it’s always nice to help the team,’ said the 21-year-old. ‘That’s why I’m here. That’s why everybody’s here, to help the team win.

‘Everybody knows that you need to perform here. Everybody’s pushing each other. So, that’s a really nice competition in the team and that helps us also to perform every game.

‘I think we showed already that we are in a good place.

‘It’s now just up to us to keep the focus and keep working on the next game.’

Bottom of the table after taking just one point from a possible 15, St Johnstone will travel to Celtic Park on Sunday more in hope than expectation of ending the year with a shock result.

The Perth men will take something from the fact they were the first team in the league to take a point from Rodgers’ side last season. But that now feels like it belongs to a different era.

‘The onus is on us,’ Rodgers stressed.

‘We want to impose our way, bring that freshness and finish the year really well.’