Brendan Rodgers Discussion Thread

If we just start on Saturday's game, have you had time to look at it and what have you spoken to the players about since the match going forward?

We analyse the game like we do every game. I still feel that we should have had something from the game. Especially in the second half, in the first half we didn't make a good start. But I didn't overthink it either because the players have been absolutely fantastic for me this season.

The consistency and the level that we've shown over many months have been at a really high level. We didn't make a good start in the game, which is always something that you want to do. We didn't quite do it.

It was a disappointing first half, we made a great reaction second half. We should have had an equaliser, which could have given us momentum even to go on and win the game. It didn't happen and we just have to move on from that and look to our next game now.

Just on the goal that didn't stand, have you spoken to Willie Collum at all this morning? Have you spoken to anyone about seeing footage of why the decision was overturned?

No, I don't think there's any more footage on it. I think the club go through the process. We don't make statements and do all sorts of things. We just go through the procedure and the process, which is for the club to speak to the SFA and just get a feeling of what they think.


Obviously, we haven't had any back yet. My feeling is still the same having watched it and seen the various images. There are a couple of images that you see where the illusion is that it's out, but then there are others that will look like it's clearly in.

I've seen one image of one right on the actual goal line which was an incredible shot really and that looked in. It's more the process really. I was disappointed for the guys in the game, Steve and the referee and the linesman, because they actually got it correct in the game. I didn't feel that they should have been overruled on that without a definitive answer which is what I said at the time.


Do you think it's something that Scottish football should be looking to implement? Is that at the top of the to-do list? Should we be getting goal-line technology cameras along the line so we get these decisions right in the future? Or are there more pressing concerns, do you think?

Listen, it's all about what you can afford, I suppose, within the league. There may be other priorities.

Certainly, within the game, if it's something that the game can afford to be able to do, then of course you wouldn't have scenarios. Sorry, you would have scenarios, but you would have the clarity that you would get with the goal line technology.




It's big news across the country that the Rangers manager Philippe Clement has departed. What are your thoughts on that? How do you see it?

Like it is for any manager, I'm always disappointed when a manager loses his job. Philippe has been in there for the period of time that he has. I'm disappointed for him as a coach. I think we all know the conditions up here. You have to be winning and show that consistency to win.

I'm always sad when another manager loses his job. Philippe has shown previously, coming into the Rangers, that he's a very good manager. He's won titles. He's not just a good coach, he's a winning coach and has won.

Like I say, we know the conditions up here. There's relentless pressure on you to win at Celtic and Rangers. Expectation is there and that doesn't stop on a daily basis. You have to then come out and be a consistent winner.


It's obviously a symbiotic relationship, the pressure in Glasgow. When one is up, the other one isn't up. That's the way it is, isn't it? Is it a measure of the consistency and high level you guys have shown over this period? That pressure has gone to the other end of the city?

I think it's also how we've dealt with the pressure. I think that's been key to it. I think we didn't get off to the best of starts in the last season when I came in. Certainly in terms of consistency and performance level.

I think when Philippe came in, obviously, they had that bounce and had a really good run. Then once we started to find our feet and get our rhythm, then I think how we dealt with pressure, we dealt with it really, really well.

From that moment, we've continued to grow and improve. It's a great credit to the players and how they've coped with that and how they've consistently performed.


You came up against Philippe and his team on a number of occasions during this time here. How did you find him? Did you have much interaction with him? Do you have much interaction with your other old firm manager?

You don't really know that. That's the honest answer. I think that you actually play enough times. You come up against each other quite a lot, of course. But in terms of the interaction, there isn't so much. I've seen his work outside of Rangers as well.

They need to look at that and his CV to show that Rangers employed a very good manager. That's what they felt at the time and that's why they gave him the job



In terms of you guys, obviously, 11 games to go in the league. Is that a case of focusing on your work? You had that all season, I guess. Obviously, we see events elsewhere taking the headlines and all that stuff. Is it just about business as usual and getting your head down to the finishing line?

Yes, I think it's professionalism and focus, which is very important. We obviously need to bounce back from the weekend. But the weekend was another opportunity for us to show that when you're not quite on it then teams can hurt you.

It's also a great measure of how focused and professional the team has been. We've had very few slip-ups over the course of the season. We did it at the weekend.

We're hungry to respond now, tomorrow evening. It's at this time of the season when you've really got to narrow in your focus on your performance, into your recovery, into your preparation and just focus on the next game.

How's the squad for tomorrow?

Same as the weekend. They're all in a good place. James is still a bit away from joining the squad. He is out on the field. It's the same squad.



How's Paulo (Bernardo) looking from the ankle injury? Is he still another three or four weeks behind?

Yes, he's still a wee bit of time away. We've given him a little bit of time off. He's obviously back in now. So, yes, he's still a bit of time away.

What do you expect from tomorrow night's game?

I expect a tough game. Celtic-Aberdeen are always good games. We've obviously played well in them this season. Jimmy Thelin got off to a brilliant start and then the highs and lows of football for a difficult period.

He's been able to look and see in that early five or six months in the building, he'll be looking at the internal culture of the club and the training ground and how that looks. Then he's been able to freshen that up in January and bring in his sort of profile of players that can make his system maybe work even better.

So, they've picked up in the last few games. So, I expect a really tough game and that's what we've prepared for.



The home league game against Aberdeen the 2-2 draw is the only game that you have conceded goals in the league at Parkhead league all season. That's a record worth protecting, isn't it?

Yes, pressing for me is everything. That's the starting point and that's where everything else comes from. So, our ability to press the game from the top of the field is key in our work and that defensive record is a great credit to the team.

People will look at the back four and goalkeeper naturally, of course, because they are those last points of our defence as such. But our pressing and defensive mentality, is the foundation for us to play the football that we want to play. At home on that day, we conceded two disappointing goals. Other than that, I can't really complain

 

To me it’s more about identifying the right players than necessarily the price. We were linked previously with Jashiri that went to Club Brugge for about £5m and he is a very good ball playing, deep lying midfielder that would have been an excellent addition to our team.

You also have bosman’s who could do that too.

I would like to see us strengthen the positions mentioned but not to fussed what the fee is we spend as long as it is a good player. For example I think we could have got a better centre forward than Idah for less money and he was close to that £10m figure.

 

Imagine seeing off 6 hun managers in your time and the pedigree you have in the game, to then have to face up to Barry * Ferguson

 

When the manager doesn’t feel he can start a second-choice CB pairing vs Hibs after a European tie, we don’t have the depth we need even domestically. Get 3 or 4 depth options on top of the 2 or 3 top quality targets you mention, and we’ll be better equipped to be competitive at all levels.

 

Yes agreed - the price is arbitrary. I just used 10MM as its the kind of upper limit to what we would pay for a player. I would rather 3 quality players that could come in and improve our first choice team than 6/7 guys to come in as squad depth players. Id be surprised if the board sanction anything more that 30M expenditure which I think would be a stretch to bring in 6/7 players without diluting the quality of the signings. But you never know.

 

I do agree on our own self limiting behaviours but I think right now if you told me no one leaves and Tierney replaced Taylor, Schlupp stays as the base case of our squad.

I would say we are 3 players short there in the positions you identified right up the spine of the team. Centre midfielder and centre forward au would be looking for a starter. Centre back it’s probably someone competent at right centre back as having 3 left centre backs would leave our most vulnerable player injury wise with no naturally right sided cover so I would be open to a Bosman or lower cost player there unless CCV goes.

However, I don’t think our base case is realistic I will be surprised if Kuhn is still our player after the summer, there seems to be too many clubs looking at him. Also Hatate it feels it’s his time to go. You could also make cases for CCV and AJ being in those boats and of course Maeda. If he finishes the season as he is going just now there will be interest. They won’t all go but I think at least 2 of those 5 will leave.

So that would leave us needing a minimum of 5 players in to really strengthen the team on top of Tierney joining and Schlupp staying.

January has been downplayed but I really think we should have been signing at least another couple of players even if we couldn’t get a striker then at least get other positions filled.

Back on the budget for the summer as I say I do agree but it does seem ridiculous as I think as an absolute minimum you would get £30m for Kuhn and Hatate of which over £25m of that is profit given the fees we paid.

I know it has been talked about a lot before but this summer sounds like being Frimong’s time to move and that will be another £6m+ pay day.

There is also the matter of Lagerbielke, Nawrocki, Welsh, Kwon, Tilio and Palma that all really need moved on. Yang possibly too.

However, I do share your perception that we will ultimately leave ourselves short in 1 or 2 positions as we have constantly done for a number of years now.

 

Im not sure if its a case Rodgers felt he couldnt afford to start Scales vs Hibs or whether he felt Trust and CCV were fine to play.

I think if we bring in 7/8 players in the Summer - then we need to also move on about 7/8 players or else risk having a bloated squad with a fair bit of dead money in it. Thats quite a lot of business to get through.

We have a bunch of guys in the squad now I think that probably arent at the level we would want ideally. But at the same time - its not easy to replace them with quality. Like ideally Id like a better back up for Johnstone than Ralston. But Ralston serves a purpose as well because he ticks a home grown quota and is happy to be a back up that wont be disruptive about restricted game time. Id like better than Yang as back up - but its probably not easy to go out and get a better quality player thats going to be content to sit behind Jota, Maeda and Kuhn.

 

Hopefully we can hang on to Kuhn and Maeda for another season but ultimately I do expect them to both to move on sooner rather than later. And if Rodgers opts to leave at the end of his contract its could spell moving into a rebuild territory with potentially 5/6 starting players all finishing up with him.

 

Thought is response to the ball being out was quite dignified, but still made the statement jibe. Was also quite good about Clement, being polite and saying as a manager he would never want a fellow manager to lose his job and was actually quite complimentary about Clement. Can't imagine one of their managers would be so friendly like that.