Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was "very pleased" as he watched his team go 18 points clear atop the Scottish Premiership after a win over Ross County.


The 4-1 scoreline was comfortable in the end but the Highlanders posed big questions with a resilient performance that saw them keep parity after Kyogo's first-half strike was cancelled out by Jordan White's penalty.

Sadly for manager Don Cowie, their defence only held out until Kyogo grabbed his second on 81 minutes with a wonderful flashing header. After that, the floodgates opened with late goals from Arne Engels and Luke McCowan giving the scoreline a more comprehensive sheen.

And Rodgers was delighted with what he saw once again from his relentless champions.

He said: "I'm very, very pleased. I think the effort the players put in, we should have been more goals in front at half-time, but scored a very, very good goal. And then second half, obviously, we get pegged back.

"The goal comes from us giving the ball away from a throw-in a few minutes earlier. So then we have to find that resilience that I spoke about before the game. And you can see the players, how they kept going. In games like today, you've got to find a way to win.

"Really, really cold day, pitch very bobbly, very bumpy, and you just have to have that mentality to get through the game. And the players showed a fantastic mentality and ended up really good winners in the end."

"You can't wait for the perfect situation. And the weather and the pitch and everything else ensures it's not perfect. But the effort and the mentality of the team to just keep going, keep trying to find a way. Lots of players are out that have been really creative players for us, but we still end up with four goals and play them well on a really, really difficult day. "

 

Onto a boat to drive up there?

I get what he meant, but that doesn't work

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Did he mention anything regarding Kuhn and Maeda?

 

Awk set the Brendometer to Saint Brendon level again I’ve been silver tongued

 

Both should be fine for midweek

 

That really could have been testing conditions for your players today, but they dealt with it well to get a win.

Aye, I think it's that resilience that the team have. You know, to work that way and have the resilience, you'll always find a way.

The players did that exceptionally well. We all feel it. It's super cold. The pitch was really bumpy and lively, but we found a way.

First half, we could have been more than one up. We should have been more than one up. And then we get picked back with the penalty. But then the reaction was outstanding from there. That push to keep going, stay calm. And the guys coming into the game gave us a nice little change of energy.

We ended up probably what the scoreline should reflect, really. So, yeah, really pleased.

Is that the message, just to sort of trust your football and keep on playing the way you always do, despite the fact that the pitch was that way and the conditions were bad?

You see that in the first goal, the way that was worked was really nice and the players just took at it. Yeah, yeah. The first goal was a fantastic goal. And we will always do that. You know, I think even in the difficult conditions, technically, the players were really strong today.

And we knew that Don's (Cowie) team were going to be compact and tight. Lots of players behind the ball. The advantage when you have a fast pitch, you can move the ball quickly.

And we knew that wasn't going to be the case today because of the conditions. But we still tried to do the right things and we got the reward in the end.


Are you pleased with Kyogo's flexibility to move that way a wee bit?

Yeah, I thought he worked really well. I think you have to remember he was a winger when he played in Japan. That's what he was. He came into the club as a winger.

So he has played there, but his profile is not 1v1, beating people like some wingers are. So it was the case of trying to obviously having two goal scorers out of the team. It was trying to bring goal scorers in and find a way to be flexible to allow him to do that.

And I thought he and Arne (Engels) and Alistair (Johnston) managed that really well on that side of the pitch.

There's been a wee bit of chat recently about Kyogo maybe going. I take it you're adamant you want him here?

Yeah, all the players. We want to improve the squad and develop the squad. So that's nice. His goals today, that's what he's all about. Great runs, in round the box and getting his finish.

How do you think he did with Idah? A lot of eyes were on that dynamic today.

Yeah, you have to give them credit. They had the will to want to make it work. Obviously, we haven't really done that before.

We normally play with out-and-out wingers, stretching the game, making runs in behind and then bodies on the inside. That was just a little structural change where he morphs on the inside. That can take a little bit of time.

But there were some moments, especially in the first half...


For the goals?

Yeah, yeah. Adam creates that space for you. Absolutely.

So it was never going to be perfect, but it didn't need to be. We just found a way to have a go at it and challenge the players to make it work. And I thought they made it work really well.

Do you think it worked in the main, basically? It worked okay. Kyogo gets two goals.

Yeah. Some bits were not perfect, but I can't expect it to be perfect. But I think the actual overall structure of it can give teams problem when he's more on the inside. Then you've got another reference with Adam there.

But I need to have a look at it in the game to analyse it.

But it wasn't so much that either was right, one was going deep, and one was going short?

Adam's shouldn't really... His performance and what we require from him shouldn't really change. He's a central striker. He's a reference for the team. Set the game up. Run in behind. Press the game.

It was more for Kyogo to adapt. Because rather than having him stretch the pitch in the early stages of build-up, as we progress through the pitch, then find the space. And I've said it before many times.

Players play the space, not just the position. And the space is inside. Then when he rolls in, someone else rolls out.


Were you pleased to give Johnny Kenny a bit of game time today? You've got a few players out, but were you pleased to give him game time?

It was absolutely brilliant. You think a young Irish guy came in a few years ago and he obviously went back out and in and done really well. He scored goals regularly.

He scored in Europe for Shamrock. To then come in and be given that opportunity. And I thought I was so pleased for him because it just means everything to him and to any of the young players.

So he's deserved that wee run out that he's had. He'd come in, him and Luke (McCowan). They energised the game.

And obviously, Scales, he'd come in and just shore the game up for us because they go big and direct. We have that extra height. But for him in particular, it's really good.

A goal and an assist for Arne Engels today. Another two goal contributions. How important is he becoming to this team? Just with the numbers he's getting after maybe a difficult couple of months he's back and he's getting those goals and assists.

I just think you see the confidence in him now and the happiness he's playing. He's playing with authority. Which, as I said, that's what you need to do.

If you're playing a midfield player for Celtic, you need to have that authority. He's been on a great run of form, great consistency and he's just got to keep it going.

Does it show his character that he missed the first penalty, obviously it was retaken, and he takes it, but he takes it the other way as well. He sends the goalkeeper the wrong way. Does that show his character?

Yeah, it's just trusting a player. Sometimes you get the inkling, you know, he's missed the first one.

The guys are saying, should we give it to Luke? No, let him deal with the pressure. Let him deal with the pressure and he stepped up and he dealt really well with it



It's been the ideal response against the Rangers game, hasn't it?

Aye, aye. We were awful on that day. Goodness me, it was never a Celtic team playing that game.

Nowhere near a Celtic team. Through the years, the eras of competition and that. But we know that.

I see you shaking your head too. Does that hurt you?

It always does. You lose any game, but especially a Celtic-Rangers game in the manner that we did.

But listen, it's a learning opportunity. We know we can't be there again. The response has been great. I think you see the commitment of the players.

One thing I want to say today is the commitment of the supporters. As I said to the guys before the game, there are many reasons why we want to win the game.

But I know a group of supporters that jumped onto a boat at 3.30 this morning to travel across to then drive a drive up to here that we drove yesterday. And they were going to stand in the freezing cold and watch a game. And I said, that is commitment.

So, at the very bare minimum, we have to match that commitment. If we do, then our quality and everything else will take us through the game. So, brilliant for the supporters to be here in awful weather.

A brilliant for the players and a good day for us all round.

 

Honestly, if he's backed with 3-4 this window then the summer again, could achieve some great things. Hopefully gets a contract extension...only 18 months left.

 

How not? Coming over from any area Ireland/northern Ireland on the ferry, then driving up to the highlands to dingwall

 

Just meant the way it read, as I'd they got the boat and used that to drive to dingwall.

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Thought he adapted superbly yesterday..

Kyogo, with the 'free' role and AJ pushed high.. really worked.

Even bringing Scales on at LB, providing that extra height and strength. It was 2-1 at the time and they were pumping balls into the back post, made perfect sense. We scored right away to make it 3-1 but was a good call. Scales at LB can work in tight away days, Killie for example.

Got it spot on.

 

Love the no excuses mentality. We get on with it no matter how many games, the weather, whether penalties are given or not given, injuries and the list goes on. Some managers could take a leaf out his book in that department.

 

Really hope not. Hoping he sees last year as something of a false start, and if he sees growth in Europe then maybe get another couple of years.

Catch 22 that the board might be reluctant to back signing 'his' players if he doesn't commit slightly longer.

Although, do wonder if the 3 year contract was to allow him to be the manager that overtook Rangers' combined title count and trophy haul. His ego would like that.

 

I want to see the exact same team start against Dundee, if Maeda or Kuhn aren't 100%. Really think it got the best out of Kyogo.

 

I think we may see a 1 year extension, maybe 2.

 

The way he talks it will be 3.. I think there's aspects of managing us he finds tedious..