Brendan Fraudgers!

BRENDAN Rodgers challenged his players to play with personality against Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany tonight (Tuesday) and the Hoops manager believes he got what he asked for.

The Bhoys recovered from the blow of conceding a first-half goal to draw the match 1-1 thanks to Moussa Dembele’s cool second-half penalty, and the result leaves them still with hope of making it to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

The result and performance was a dramatic improvement and turnaround from the 2-0 loss the Hoops suffered at Celtic Park last month at the hands of Andre Schubert’s side, and the Celtic manager said he felt his team were unlucky not to walk away as winners in their rematch.

“I thought we should have won the game,” he said. “It shows my disappointment really to come and play the way we did. I felt we should have won the game and I felt we were the best team.

“I’m really proud of the players because I said to them in order for us to improve and be better we need to play with personality, and the personality we showed in the game was outstanding.

“We were very brave on the ball, opened up the pitch to play, secured the game, built the game, created chances. We had speed on the counter-attack and we had chances to win. We hit the bar and we should have scored at the end so it was an outstanding team performance and a beginning for us at this level in terms of the personality we need to play with.”

The result leaves Celtic still bottom of group C on two points, with Borussia above them in third on four, but Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over group leaders Barcelona in the other match means progression to the last 16 of the competition or qualification for the UEFA Europa League last 32 is still a possibility.

The manager added that having the chance to remain in Europe after Christmas gives his team something to fight for, but said that he was simply proud of his players’ performance.

“What was important was to get a result but my biggest feeling going into the game was, win lose or draw, I want us to pay with personality that shows we can go to a tough place anywhere in Europe and perform,” he added.

“The players deserve a huge amount of credit. They stayed calm and passed the ball. The pitch was difficult, it was a bit bobbly and didn’t run quite as smooth as it looked but they kept composed and it keeps us in there fighting.

“We always knew this was going to be a difficult group but to come to here and make that result and performance, I was very proud. It’s another step forward for this team in a short period of time and that ability to believe they can perform that well. It keeps us fighting.”

 

Thinking back to this time last year when we got ragdolled by Molde with a player older than Deila in their midfield running the show till now, wow.

I'm an atheist and Rodgers is making me start to believe in a higher power more than 16 years of school ever did Guys a gem.

Can't wait to see what we do in January/the summer now. We absolutely need a couple of midfielders if we really want to compete. Add a winger and a goalkeeper and I'll be happy as Larry.

 

You can see Brendan knows his stuff and his heart is with Celtic, you don't get much more than that.
Taking off Gamboa and bringing on Henderson showed he was going for the win, almost came off too.
What a far cry from the days of Deila and Mowbray we have come.
He knows the weaknesses still in the team, but like he says time will address it, and some more astute Rodger's signings in the fullness of time, not John Park signings anymore.

 

He has given us a team to be proud of again, excited to see what he brings us in January, there's about 10 that need to be moved on and i'm happy that he has seen through Bitton for the shitebag he is, hopefully he is one of the first out the door when the window opens.

 

Qualifying for the knockout stage is starting to sound likely within the next few years.

 

BR on Celtic's 1-1 #UCL draw with @borussia on Tuesday night: "The performance the other night was very pleasing


BR: "Trying to build a dynamic team with a high intensity & work-rate in the game & can play a high level of football with style."


BR: "The team showed that sort of development at this early stage. Still a way to go but we showed confidence to impose our style."


BR: "A very encouraging performance. We wanted to win, obviously, but this experience for me was about performance & very good.”


BR: "We have shown potential and the beauty of the group is they have shown they can learn


BR: "Qualifying is great but you have to have belief to impose that way of working and we have seen improvements from Barcelona game."


BR on players coming in and impressing in #UCL: "The nature of how we work is based on the collective."

BR: "You need your top players and want them available, but you can’t really one individual - has to be about the team."



BR: "Always knew this group would be tough, but you can see the players are learning. Go into every game thinking we can win."


BR: "A lot of those playing in the front line have got all the plaudits but those who haven’t featured as much deserve huge credit.


BR on being unbeaten in the league: "Testament to players & mentality. @ICTFC game still rankles a bit. Should have had 10 out of 10."


BR: "We conceded late on. Put in a good performance that day, just didn't take our chances.

BR: "I saw on the day that they (@ICTFC) had some good players with good quality & They have started to play more football now.


BR: "Really happy with how players are improving and want to ensure there are no slip-ups before the international break."


BR also revealed that @SimunovicJozo & @Leighgriff09 are available for the @ICTFC game after injury but Kolo Toure remains sidelined.



BRENDAN Rodgers has highlighted the importance of the collective at Celtic after Tuesday’s impressive UEFA Champions League performance away to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Injuries to key personnel saw the manager make a number of changes for the clash in Germany, particularly in the defensive department, where Emilio Izaguirre made his first Champions League start of the season at left-back, Cristian Gamboa came in at right-back and Mikael Lustig moved inside to cover at centre-half.

But, despite the reshuffle, the Bhoys stood up to the huge test posed by the Bundesliga side to fight back and record a 1-1 draw which keep their hopes alive of remaining in Europe beyond Christmas.

“The nature of how we work is based on the collective,” said the manager. "You need your top players and you want them available for as many games as you possibly can, but we can never rely just on one individual.

"This has to be about the team, the team’s function is based on each player in the position with and without the ball and everyone working at an intense level. That’s why we have a squad.

“We have young players that are developing and senior players who can come in and do a job. It was particularly pleasing when you consider the guys who were missing but I wasn’t surprised either as we work on the collective here.

“It’s testament to the squad. A lot of the players who have been playing in the front line week in, week out, have got a lot of plaudits, but there have been a lot of players who haven’t featured as much who deserve a huge amount of credit.

“Emilio came into the team and to play like he has done in the last three games shows his commitment to his training. I thought he was outstanding the other night, firstly from a defensive perspective, I felt he defended very well, and he showed quality going forward.

“It was testament to the likes of him and Cristian, who came in, and I really like Mika as I feel he’s a multi-functioning player, who can play at full-back or centre-half. Young Liam Henderson and Callum McGregor came on and made an impact on the game.

"The whole squad has contributed up to now and it has to be that way. It’s critical for us. It’s important we can attack and defend with that intensity, and we train at that level as well.

“The players work very hard and they condition themselves very well in training, they are committed to it, and they look like they believe it because they have had some really good results. The nature of the squad is important for us and they all feel they are contributing.”

Kieran Tierney’s ankle injury, which will see him miss the next two months, prompted Izaguirre’s recall to the starting XI and the Honduran internationalist has underlined why he has been such a key player in Paradise over the past six years with three accomplished performances.

At one stage, it looked as though the defender could leave in the summer but Brendan Rodgers was delighted he stayed and with his efforts over recent weeks since his restoration to the side.

“Emilio has played here for a number of years and clearly last year he fell behind young Kieran, who came in and was exceptional,” said the Hoops boss.

“I said to him the summer that he would get chances here to play, but if you leave a club like Celtic and the level we are hoping to get the team to, then it has to be to the right club.

“I think he was satisfied. He worked really well over pre-season. Naturally, there were one or two options for him to go but he decided to stay. He enjoyed the work, he enjoys Scotland and he loves being up here in Glasgow and, of course, he’s playing for a huge club.

“It was unfortunate for Kieran going out, he will have his operation today, and hopefully all that goes well, but we have a great back-up in Emilio coming in and you can see he has done very well in the last three games he has played.”

 

I've been impressed with his man management.

 

BR: To produce that performance, keep another clean sheet and show that energy in the game was particularly impressive.


BR: We had obviously set up the team to play in a different way and then Mika got injured so we had to adjust.

The manager described Stuart Armstrong as 'the blond Cafu' for his Man of the Match performance in an unfamiliar right-back role.


BR: I thought Stu was brilliant. He adapted well, there was no drama & I thought he played the position really well and should have scored.



BR: There’s been a lot said about Callum McGregor missing in midweek but you should write about his pass for our first goal today.

BR: His improvisation & ability to flick it between two defenders to set Scotty up. Once we got the goal we started to move through gears.


BR: You know that when Scott Brown comes off, it’s a sore one, but we’ll know more in the next 24 hours. No news yet on him or Mikael Lustig

 

post match press conference
https://soundcloud.com/user-4101759...ndcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=twitter

 

The smallest giant in the world.

He's quickly becoming my most favourite manager.

 

It's November and we are averaging over 3 goals a game in the league.

We could break points and goals records this season. I can't see anyone getting close to us unless we have a severe loss of form.

With the manager in charge you can't imagine a loss of intensity like that will ever be tolerated.

 

I will genuinely be surprised if we don't win the league by 20 points.