Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

Brendan Rodgers has challenged his Celtic side to reach new Champions League heights against Borussia Dortmund.

The Hoops boss will face last season’s beaten finalists without Cameron Carter-Vickers after the defender didn’t travel due to a foot problem. But Rodgers insisted his men have a chance to prove they can cut it at the top level in front of the famous Yellow Wall at the Signal Iduna Park. Celtic have been running amok in Scotland and stuffed Slovan Bratislava in their Champions League opener



But Rodgers admitted this is the acid test and he is confidence his side can raise their game. He said: “I think for us it's looking to bring our game to the next level. I think how we've been performing over probably the last six, seven months has just been increasing.

Now we've come to this level and we're under no illusions about what. We're playing against a team that are challenging the very top end of elite football. But for us, I've always said, whether it's domestically or whether it's away in this competition, it's making us a really difficult team to play against with and without the ball.


So for us that's what we want to be able to do. I'm not looking for perfection, I'm just looking for us to be really, really difficult to play against and give everything we have. Bring our game, which is to press, to fight, to run. We know at times that quality drives you back and then it's having that resilience in those moments.

“But we also know that we have a game that can hurt teams as well, with our football and our speed. So I'm really excited about seeing that. I will only know when I see it. Bringing that quality that we show domestically and being able to take it out into this amazing arena and playing with that confidence, with that belief and that courage.


But I don't doubt that. I don't doubt that with this team and what I've seen now over a period of time. It's something that we'll know we'll have to face stress in the game and face pressure but that's even the very best teams that happens to.



But for us it's transferring that game model that we see week to week and that we've seen in the first leg of the Champions League or the first game. And to do that, if we can do that, we can be a really difficult team to play against tomorrow night



Rodgers admitted losing Carter-Vickers for another Champions League clash was a major blow. But he’s looking for others to step up to fill the void left by the influential centre back.

Rodgers said: “Clearly he's a top class player for us. He's missed a little bit of Champions League football in his time. Five of the 12 games that the club has played, he's unfortunately not been able to play in. But yes, we've got other players. It's always an opportunity for someone else to come in and hopefully we can get Cam back sooner rather than later.





But like I say, we can't overthink it. We will rely on a collective. There's not one player that brings our results and how we've been this season. Of course he's a very important player, Cam. But for us to get a result, it will be by the collective.”

Dortmund have been a mixed bag this season on the back of last term’s run to the final, where they went down to Real Madrid. But Rodgers still rates the German big guns as top drawer and said: “Yes, they are still a formidable team. You only need to look at the goals they've scored. They've been conceded. Like I said earlier, you're trying to find the balance with those changes.




It's a top team, it's a top club that's set up to challenge the very elite of modern football. You see that within the stadium, you see it within the quality of the squad. So yes, it's still a big challenge and they'll be looking to go far in this competition.

 

Been praised all season but what the * was that?

Going all out attack, no easing in. Clearly under orders to press high up but they were beating our press with ease constantly and scoring..

How about telling them to drop. Take our time when the play stopped and get the midfield 3 closer to the defence?

Nope. Done the same thing all half. Their midfield was goal side of our midfield everytime or they'd just pop it off to their number 9 from deep and he'd bring them in to play..

An utter riddy from him and is overseeing possibly the worst European 45 pumping I've ever seen..

 

Naive as * from him. Learned nothing from last year and how it went under Ange.

I'm all for dying on your sword, but atleast carry a * shield

 

Seemingly got high on his own supply after a decent run and a win over Bratislava.. this was how Rodgers set up in his first spell here in CL (to no apparent success).

 

Killed us. So * naive the way he set us up.

Why are we setting up away at Dortmund the same way as we would against Ross County at Celtic Park?

An absolute disgrace of a half that.

 

Outstanding domestically but he will achieve nothing in Europe with us, he is too stubborn to change his philosophy.

 

He needs an after match press conference of Moses on the mount to convince me he has learned in the Champions League.

 

Laughing stock of the CL again.

A manager of his supposed caibre shouldn't be having results like this, no matter the opposition.

 

Any of the good that’s he’s done recently feels hollow now. Sometimes it’s difficult to feel any enthusiasm towards him in a tactical sense

 

7-0 defeat away to Barca
7-1 defeat away to PSG
5-0 defeat at home to PSG
6-0 defeat away to Atletico Madrid
7-1 defeat away to Dortmund

Grim, grim stuff that Brendan has been a part of in Europe, the most worrying aspect is that two of these horror results have now happened since he's returned when he's supposed to be a far better manager for his latest experience at Leicester

Sparta Prague went away to Stuttgart tonight and got a 1-1 draw, Stuttgart who pumped Dortmund just over a week ago, willing to bet Sparta Prague don't have near our wage bill or transfer budget either, answers required

 

We all secretly thought we could get a result here. Brendans went with what had been incredible this season hoping to put them to the sword. Never worked. We move on. Match day 2. Face up we go again

 

Naive is the word of the evening. Set us up more aggressive than an Ange team. Needs to take the responsibility here and send out a more structured, disciplined side in subsequent games.

 

But Ange left us open at the back though, mate.

 

Lets not be kidded, Ange was no better.

 

He gambled. He let his emotions take over got swept up in the emotions of it all and threw everything on 'dortmund are looking shaky this season, maybe we can exploit it too' by attacking them. WRONG! He conveniently forgot this is Celtic away in the CL and soon as we lose a goal the mental trauma of defeat hits every single player. He also forgot THAT BACK LINE IS EUROPA LEAGUE LEVEL AT BEST. Genuinely think his ego took over today and thought he could get the better of them. Hopefully he learns a harsh lesson today. PRAGMATISM!

 

Both are naive, but I don't see any difference between them in terms of our defensive frailties, stupid mistakes, poor decision making, etc.

Most on here think we're better defensively under Rodgers but the stats don't back that up.

 

Conceding 7 against prime Barca is bad enough. 7 against this Dortmund team is criminal.

Be * staggered if they get past the QF’s.

 

Why do we never learn ? Pick your battles ffs Brendan , we insist on going toe to toe against better players and this the result !!
How about trying to sit in and make it difficult against the better teams ( at least away from home ) , results and performances like tonight really show us up when we have players that are surely better than this if given better tactics .
This could easily have been at least double figures in the first half , wake up brendan ffs we aint in the SPL !!

 

Tactics all wrong again when playing away from home in Europe against a top team. You cannot go toe to toe with something that is far superior to you in any sport. You just get punished. You try and make it as difficult as possible for your opponent. Nullify their so called strengths as much as possible