NEIL MCCANN reckons Celtic supporters went over the top in their criticism of Brendan Rodgers by unfurling a banner at Tynecastle on Wednesday night.
The Northern Irishman quit Parkhead to join Premier League side Leicester City this week as he brought a quick and controversial end to his hugely successful tenure in Glasgow.
A message which read 'You traded immortality for mediocrity. Never a Celt, always a fraud' was displayed before the Premiership victory over Hearts.
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And former Rangers hero McCann believes fans should be more grateful to Rodgers for his efforts during his two-and-a-half years in charge.
He said: "If Celtic had lost the title this year it wouldn't have mattered how it would've ended, there would've been outrage.
"You saw the banner [on Wednesday] night, Celtic fans are very angry.
"Maybe Brendan thought, 'this is inevitable'. I always felt the summer would bring his move and maybe he felt it was the right time to do it now, when they're eight points clear.
"I know they have a tough game coming up in the Scottish Cup, and they've already got a League Cup in the bag.
"Maybe he thought this was the best thing for the club. I still find the banner and some of the abuse he's taken astonishing.
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"I felt the banner was a bit over-the-top. Seven out of seven is a pretty good return.
"They're better than where they were - he moved Armstrong to a new level and sold him, he brought Christie to a new level, he injected life into Scott Brown and improved his game dramatically.
"I do believe come the summer he could've had bigger options, with all respect to Leicester.
"You can understand the anger of Celtic fans because that could've been a couple of points dropped but for a late finish.
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"Football fans can be like that, some of them take it very hard.
"The calculated ones will look at it in the cold light of day and be thankful for what he's given them.
"He's taken Celtic into a new level of operating. He seemed to me as though he wanted a bit of control of everything.
"He seemed to deal with the media very well and had a certain class about him, but his ambitions maybe outgrew Celtic. The European thing was a big thing for him and he didn't quite get it."
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