Brendan Fraudgers!

McGregor's pish.

 

CELTIC made it 10 domestic home wins out of 10 this season when they beat Partick Thistle 1-0 on Tuesday night, extending the unbeaten domestic run to 21 games.

It’s been an impressive first six months for the Hoops under Brendan Rodgers, with the League Cup securely ensconced in the Celtic Park trophy room and a 14-point lead at the top of the Premiership table established, and with a game in hand over their nearest rivals.

And the manager has praised his players for their quality, focus and determination, particularly with the amount of games already played this season – 33 competitive fixtures and eight friendly matches since the end of June.

“We changed the team about in order to have that energy and freshness in the game (against Thistle) and we probably didn’t quite press the game as I would have liked in the first-half,” he said. “We had a lot of the ball but we weren’t compact enough as a team in terms of how we work and how we function.

“In the second-half we were more aggressive and our lines were much closer together and our only disappointment again is that we didn’t score more than one goal. Obviously, when you’ve only got that one goal, it can make it that little bit edgy – but a huge amount of credit to the players again for staying calm towards the end, keeping the ball and keeping another clean sheet.

“It was a very good win for us. I thought that, in parts of the game, it was very good. In other parts, it wasn’t so good – more so in the first half than the second.

“You have to credit the players for the way they’re going from game to game to game. That’s the forty-first game we’ve had, which is a phenomenal amount, and to not slip up domestically really shows that real persistence and resistance that’s in the team, and the energy to keep going.

“But we play in a way that has a systematic approach, so that when one player comes in, he understands his function in the team, and there’s no way I can play all the players in every game – and they’ve got international games on top of that – you just can’t do it.

“So naturally, at times, you’ll going to lose a wee bit of fluency, but you see other characteristics in the team – spells of great football, great possession, creating chances – we should have scored more goals, which makes it a lot calmer, but still having that mentality to win is very important.”

 

I love the mutual love and affection he has for our supporters and (at the moment) we have for him and the team. A quality that is sadly lacking in modern day football.

 

Must be counting the friendly games if he's saying 41.

 

really what gave you that idea.



something to be proud of that record.​

 

* off Brendan

 

BR: "We are getting through the games very well."

BR: "At this stage in the season, some of the performances not at the level you want but important in this period to get results."


BR: "The players have been producing the performances which have allowed them to get the results."

BR: "On to next game now & going to be a difficult challenge for us. Hamilton were tough to break down the last time we played."


BR: "On astroturf pitch which makes it even more difficult. Expect a tough game but looking to continue with our sequence of results."

BR: "Tried to manage the squad to make sure we have enough freshness, energy and intensity in the games.

BR: "Had players who haven't played so much but when they are coming in, they have performed at a really high level.


BR on @calvin_miller7 : "Between now & the end of the season, more young players will get opportunities.


BR: "I wanted to see Calvin play under a bit of pressure. Felt it was a good game to put young Calvin in.


BR: "Partick have some really good players. I like to test the young players, you can't always bring them in and be comfortable."


BR: "You want to see how they react and deal with a tough situation and I felt the boy (@calvin_miller7) did very well."


BR on transfer window: "I expect us to do business, whether at the beginning of the end, so long as it gets done over the period."


BR on James Forrest: "He's back quicker than we expected. Back and available for the weekend, testament to him and our medical team."


BR on @Tom_Rogic "Won't be available for the weekend, see how he is for Ross County and then hopefully be available for game on 31st."




BRENDAN Rodgers expects more of the club’s younger players to make the step up to the first team over the remainder of the season after Calvin Miller made his competitive top-team bow in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Partick Thistle.

The 18-year-old started at left-back against the Jags and played just over an hour before being replaced by Emilio Izaguirre as the Hoops extended their unbeaten domestic run to 21 games.

And pleased by how the wide-man fared against some tough, physical opponents, the manager is determined to continue giving youth a chance.

“Between now and the end of the season, more young players will get opportunities, I am pretty certain of that,” he said.

“I wanted to see Calvin under a bit of pressure. We only have one recognised left-back at the moment in Emilio and he has been doing very well but, like all the other players, I have tried to give them a game where they can recover or rest physically and mentally and I felt that was a good game to put young Calvin in.

“Partick have some really good players - the boy Amoo on the side is strong and fast. I like to test the young players. You can’t always bring them in and for it to be comfortable, you want to see how they react and how they can deal with a tough situation, and I felt the boy did very well.”

Until recent weeks, Miller has always operated in an attacking role for the Development Squad so he made his debut in a position he is still learning about.

But the Hoops boss is keen to cultivate this culture of versatility among the club’s young players, highlighting the example of Callum McGregor as someone who can perform to a high level in several roles.

“It’s very important to have that versatility as that sort of multi-functioning player allows you to have a small squad as you have players who can cope in various positions,” he said.

“Callum McGregor is an example of that. He’s an outstanding young player for the squad here. He doesn’t always get the credit for what his qualities are, but managers and coaches will always appreciate it.

“Sometimes it’s the guys who make the heroic blocks and score the goals that get all the credit but he’s a young player who is very important to our squad. We have a number of those players. If you ask them to play at left-back, wide on the right or central midfield then they play the position without fuss. They don’t moan or groan and get on with doing what is best for the team.

“As time goes on, I can see the importance of Callum within our squad. When he’s on the bench, he comes on and affects the games and players like Callum are very important, and he’s a boy I really like – low maintenance, lives his life well and a professional. He comes in every day and works very hard.”

 

Interesting what he said about how early on players have literally signed up/on for a series of 'goals' and aims at the start of the season - good man management and motivation.

 

Good that he said there are a series of 'goals' and aims the team have, more than 1 aim sounds interesting/ambitious, good man management from BR

 

BR: “It was a very good win.

BR: "A wee bit tentative coming into game because of the pitch, though a brilliant club here, but I felt we coped with it very well."

BR: "We produced the quality moments in the game.

BR: "Despite the hurricane, rain and the plastic pitch, I felt we produced a really professional performance."

BR on stunning strike from @StuArmstrong16 "A magnificent strike. Everyone who attended the game will be go away thinking about it."


BR: “It was a really good goal but I felt all three were in their different ways.

BR: "To get 3 goals at a notoriously difficult place & to play with that composure with 10 men for tells you a lot about the players.


BR: "We should have had 11 players on the pitch as it was never a sending off. It was a really poor decision

BR: "Whole reaction of the ground tells you everything that it wasn’t a sending off. Everyone was surprised."

BR: “But it gave us a different challenge in how we can cope tactically and I felt we coped very well."

BR on @Leighgriff09 “Had a tight calf, will be fine for Wed. but 1 of those ones if you don’t take care of it could go for 4-6 weeks."



BRENDAN Rodgers heaped praise on his players after they overcame adversity to beat Hamilton Accies 3-0 and stretch their unbeaten domestic run to 22 games.

Playing in torrential and blustery conditions and on an artificial surface, the Bhoys were the better side in the first half and led at half-time thanks to Leigh Griffiths’ clinical finish.

Callum McGregor harshly received his marching orders for a second booking minutes into the second period, but the visitors responded rallied from this setback in spectacular fashion, with Stuart Armstrong firing an unstoppable shot into the top corner from distance.

And with Hamilton unable to capitalise on their man advantage, Moussa Dembele found the far corner after good work from James Forrest in the final 10 minutes to seal the spoils and keep the champions 14 points clear at the top of the table.

Speaking after the game, the manager said: “It was a very good win. Obviously, I was a wee bit tentative coming into it because of the pitch - and I repeat that it’s a brilliant club here - but I felt we coped with it very well.

“We produced the quality moments in the game and, despite the hurricane, the rain and the plastic pitch, I felt we produced a really professional performance, scored three good goals and kept a clean sheet.

“As we developed the game, we had one or two more chances. To get three goals here at a notoriously difficult place and to play with that composure with ten men for most of the second half tells you a lot about the players.”

Armstrong’s moment of magic was the highlight of the match and a crucial moment in the contest, giving the Hoops a vital two-goal cushion shortly after they had been reduced to 10 men.

“It was a magnificent strike,” said the manager. “Everyone who attended the game will be go away thinking, ‘what about Stuart Armstrong’s strike’. He supported the play really well, had a great touch and puts it into the top corner from 25 yards out which isn’t easy on the surface.

“It was a really good goal, but I felt all three in their different ways were – on the counter attack Callum plays a great pass and Leigh finishes really well, the second goal was a great finish and the third one was a wonderful piece of play by James Forrest and a really good finish by Moussa.”

McGregor’s sending off arrived after he collided with Scott McMann on the touchline when attempting to charge down a clearance. The Hoops boss was disappointed by the decision of referee Willie Collum to produce a second yellow card, but he was delighted the response of his players.

“We do lots of exercise of training – 10 v 9, 8 v 7, 6 v 5, 5 v 4 – when you are down in a game,” he said. “We have never had to put it into operation because the team has always had 11 players on the pitch and we should have 11 players on the pitch as it was never a sending off. It was a really poor decision.

“It wasn’t a tackle. If you watch it again, he is running to press the guy who has been thrown the ball on the field and then he plays it back, and I always ask the players to jump to the next one – jump to the thrower – so he has jumped forward, but it wasn’t a tackle, they have fallen into each other.

“The guy goes onto the floor, and the whole reaction of the ground tells you everything that it wasn’t a sending off. But it gave us a different challenge in how we can cope tactically, and I felt we coped very well and it allowed us to control the game. We came through it.”

Griffiths came off at the break and the Irishman revealed it was just a precautionary measure after the hit-man felt a tightness in his calf.

“He had a tight calf,” he said. “He will be fine for Wednesday but it’s one of those ones if you don’t take care of it could go for four to six weeks and he’s been out too much this season. He’s had illness and injuries. He got his goal and worked very well but we had no need to risk it.”

 

Christmas message from Brendan
http://www.celticfc.tv/tv/video/vod/4190

 

CELTIC manager Brendan Rodgers took time out of his busy family Christmas Day celebrations to make an extra special visit to patients, families and staff at the new Northern Ireland Hospice in Belfast.

Since becoming a Northern Ireland Hospice Ambassador earlier this year, the Hoops boss has made several visits to both the * and the children’s hospices in Belfast, ran in the Belfast City Marathon for the charity in May 2016, and as a result of a generous donation through the sale of his family home in County Antrim, funded the purchase of a state-of-the-art Nurse Call System for the new * Hospice, allowing patients to communicate more effectively and rapidly with staff when in need.

Accompanying Brendan Rodgers on his visit to the Hospice today was NI Hospice President Paul Clarke, a well-known local news broadcaster and journalist.

As has been the tradition now for many years at Hospice, Paul and his family spend time at Hospice each Christmas Day, visiting patients and staff, alongside a team of volunteers who make special cocktails, sing carols and generally help to create a festive and joyous spirit at what is an extremely difficult time for many of the patients at Hospice.

Claire Bradshaw, Head of Communications at NI Hospice, said: "To have Brendan here with us today, accompanying our President on his annual Christmas Day Visit to Hospice, is a wonderful treat for patients, families and of course our hard-working and dedicated staff and volunteers.

"Since becoming an Ambassador earlier this year, Brendan has given his time selflessly to support the work of NI Hospice and, of course, his generosity in terms of funding has been of huge help to us here at Hospice.

"Each year, our staff work tirelessly to generate over 70% of our £9million annual running costs, through voluntary donations, fundraising events, corporate partnerships and legacies.

"To have Brendan’s support towards this work is invaluable and we cannot thank him and his family enough for their commitment to the work of Northern Ireland Hospice."

Speaking at today’s visit, the Celtic manager said: "Visiting patients, families and staff today at Hospice has once again been a humbling experience for me – but on today of all days, the visit serves as a poignant reminder to me and hopefully everyone out there, of the importance of spending quality time with family and loved ones.

"The memory of my time spent at Hospice today will stay with me for a very long time and I would like to wish all those families who I met today, and families everywhere a peaceful and Merry Christmas.

"I would also take this opportunity to acknowledge the incredible staff & volunteers here at Hospice who are working extremely hard to make this day extra special for the patients and families."

Before leaving the * Hospice today, Brendan was also keen to acknowledge the work of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, where he had visited earlier this year. In the spirit of Christmas giving, Brendan announced a surprise donation of £26,000 from the Manager and first-team players at Celtic.

This generous donation will sponsor a specialist children’s palliative care nurse for a year, helping Hospice to support life limited children either at Hospice or in their home.

This contribution will be facilitated through Hospice’s ‘Time To Care’ programme which enables businesses and organisations to sponsor a nurse for a year. In return, the sponsored nurse will share updates with the sponsor, helping to spread awareness and understanding of the services of NI Children’s Hospice.

 

Brendan