Brendan Fraudgers!

BR: "I thought we were outstanding today, we scored two and could have had more. We were very strong defensively as well."

BR: "There’s always tension in these games. You can’t be complacent because anything can happen, especially in an atmosphere like today."

BR: "You have to have good organisation in these games & we did that in terms of pressing them and denying them the opportunity to play."

BR: "We can’t win every game by five or six goals but I think we showed a great level of management of the game today."

BR: "In a lot of games, you might not score in the first 10 or 15 minutes so you have to be patient."

BR: "You have to work the ball and try to tire the opponent out before you can eventually make the breakthrough and we did that today."

BR: "Leigh's movement was always a threat. He drags defenders out of position and really tries to get into the spaces that can hurt them."

BR: "I think his movement and finish for the goal was outstanding. He was very good, but today was a very good team performance too."

BRENDAN Rodgers highlighted his team’s mental courage in their masterful performance over Rangers at Ibrox. The Hoops extended the remarkable domestic unbeaten run to 57 games with the 2-0 win over their rivals in the Glasgow derby.

Goals from Tom Rogic and Leigh Griffiths ensured Celtic cemented their advantage at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Both strikes came in the second half as Celtic upped the gear in attack and asserted their dominance.

And speaking to the media, Brendan Rodgers praised his side’s outstanding display, which he said shone through in the second half.

“I thought we were outstanding today,” said the manager. “We scored two and could have had more. We were very strong defensively as well.

“In the second half I thought our conditioning and the quality of our players came through. Once we got the first goal we then created many more opportunities to score. It was a very good performance. Coming here is always a great atmosphere and our boys coped with it very well.

“Leigh’s movement was always a threat, he drags central defenders out of positions and his finish for the goal was outstanding. What he’s brilliant at is that he believes he can score in every game, no matter the level he’s playing at.”

The manager also commented on the mental development his side showed throughout the game.

“There’s always tension around these games. You can’t become complacent because anything can happen, especially in an atmosphere like today.”

“I think what you’re seeing in my team is a development in how to cope. There’s a real courage there physically to run and to work, but they also showed a mental courage to play.

"In a lot of games, you might not score in the first 10 or 15 minutes, so you have to be patient, you have to work the ball and try and tire the opponent out and eventually make the breakthrough, and we did that.”

 

According to Thumb he can give them a rollicking when needed.

 

Brendan's a very classy and distinguished-looking man in general; but I think anyone pulling that sort of face looks ugly while they're pulling it IMHO. It's this kind of emotion that's why I don't like these games: there's obviously no equivalence; but their bile and hatred does manage to pull out a certain level of hatred from us too TBH. Wish they'd hurry up and die again.

 

What are you geeing it man?

 

Probably shouting at the ref! Also anybody would have a face like that whilst shouting to be heard lol...

Sent from my HTC Desire 530 using Tapatalk

 

CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers has urged his side to seize the initiative against Anderlecht tomorrow night as the battle to remain in Europe beyond the New Year gets serious.

The Hoops head to Brussels looking to get their first Champions League points on the board in the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.

Both teams are realistically playing for the Europa League place that comes with finishing third, given that their Group B rivals are big-hitters Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Anderlecht sacked coach Rene Weiler after a poor start to the season and Rodgers believes that makes their hosts even more of an unknown quantity, as Celtic aim to bounce back from their opening 5-0 humbling against PSG.

He said: “Two of the teams in the group are the favourites for the competition and then we have Anderlecht, who we feel we have an opportunity with home and away.

“They have had a wee bit of an upheaval losing their manager and you don’t know how that goes sometimes.

“We go into it with confidence but these games at this level will be very tough.

“Last year was a great experience for us as we hadn’t been in the Champions League for a few years.

“For a club which wants to be in the Champions League regularly you need to have a philosophy as a club, which is about your standards, and be as high as you possibly can.

“The players have been brilliant. They come in every day, they are outstanding, and they take that quality into the game.

“I hear Pep Guardiola talk about how young Manchester City are in Europe. If you think of the level of players they have then for the likes of Celtic coming into the Champions League it is a huge ask for us.

“Our job over the next few years is to ensure we’re in the Champions League and try to be in European football beyond Christmas.

“That would be success for us and you never know what could happen from there.

“A lot of the boys are still developing and growing.

“It is an achievement just to qualify for the Champions League because of everything you need to go through pre-season.

“That is why you win your title and try to get through a tough qualifying process – to get in with the best teams in the world.

“It is a really exciting time and we are all loving the games and the pressure around it.

“If you are at a club like Celtic you are at one of the great, iconic clubs of the world. Your standards have to be high. We’ve tried to create an environment where you start from scratch every day.

“There is a demand on you at Celtic to win and in the best way you can.”

Moussa Dembele is still edging back to full fitness and won’t be rushed, with Leigh Griffiths leading the line with some distinction against Rangers on Saturday.

Rodgers said: “Moussa has been out for a wee while but it’s nice to have him back. He has worked very hard and to have him on the bench ready to come on was great.

“Odsonne Edouard has big talent as well. I rate him highly and he wasn’t even in the squad at the weekend.

“It is nice to have Dedryck Boyata too. He has done great for me. It was his second game back from injury and there is a real depth to the squad now.”










CELTIC’S last truly great run in the European Cup was back in 1980 when those minnows Real Madrid won what was something of a classic quarter-final.

A 2-0 win at Parkhead gave Billy McNeill’s men great hope of reaching the semis, only for the pesky Spanish giants to triumph 3-0 in the second leg. Ah, well.

These two games took place in March and the next time Celtic found themselves still in European competition after Christmas was, wait for it, in 2003 when Martin O’Neil’s side were on the road to Seville.

There were some decent Celtic teams between these two campaigns which failed to get past what was the third round of any of the-then three UEFA competitions. And while Celtic have played in European football in the New Year a few times since Seville, their overall record proves how difficult it is to qualify out of any group.

This, however, is where Brendan Rodgers wants Celtic to be.

His grand plan is for the club to become an established European side, which means being competitive enough to be either in the Champions League last 16 or, and this is the aim for this season, being one of the clubs in the Europa League knock-out stages.

“Listen, we hadn’t been in Europe (Champions League) for a few years so last season was a great experience,” said Rodgers during a wide-ranging interview on talkSPORT.

“I hear Pep Guardiola talk about Manchester City being very young in Europe and you think of the level of players they have, so for the likes of ourselves to come into the Champions League is obviously huge ask for us.

“Our job over the next few years is to ensure we are in the Champions League and to be in European football after Christmas. And, of course, we have two teams in our group who are two of the favourites for the competition and also Anderlecht who we think we have an opportunity with home and away.

“It’s a game we look forward to. They’ve had a bit of upheaval, they lost their manager and you never know who that will go, so we go into it with confidence. But these games at this level are always very difficult.”

Celtic probably need to take a point from their visit to Brussels if they are to finish third because, with the best will in the world, neither of these two are going to take anything from Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich.

Rodgers, when asked if third place was his goal, said: “That’s the idea for over the next few years, to try to make that sustainable, that we gain a place in European competition after Christmas.

"A lot of our boys are still developing, they are growing and if we could do that then that’s success for us. It is an achievement to qualify for the Champions League given what you have to go through pre-season.

“We have a tough group but this is why you win your titles and come through tough qualification; to play the best teams in the world. These are exciting times. We love the games and the pressure around it.”

Wednesday’s match is by some distance more important than the derby which was as one-sided as many of the other times Rodgers has faced down Rangers.

The Northern Irishman has yet to taste defeat in domestic football and while that will come one day, that day does seem to be a long way away, especially given the way Rodgers and his staff work.

"If you are at a club like Celtic, you are at one of the great, iconic clubs in the world so your standards have to be high and what we have tried to create here is this environment where you start from scratch every day,” said the manager,

“There is a demand on you to win here at Celtic but you have to win in the best way you possibly can. For me, that is how you approach your life, your diet, your nutrition, every aspect of your profession.

“When I came in here with my staff 15 months ago the guys were on a winning cycle. They had already won five titles and Ronny (Deila) had come in and done a good job and we said we want to work in a different way, change a little which will hopefully change a lot of how you can work and how you can play.

“For a club which wants to be in the Champions League regular you have to have a philosophy as a club, which is about your standards, and be as high as you possibly can. The players have been brilliant, I’ve got to say. They come in every day, they are outstanding, and they take that quality into the game.”

Rodgers’s record against Rangers is now six wins, three at Ibrox, and one draw. In the three games he has taken on Pedro Caixinha, the score is three victories with a total score being 9-1.

Of course, no Celtic manager would ever under-estimate any Rangers team and Rodgers said: “We have played them seven times now and these are the sort of games you can never be complacent in, especially when you consider the atmosphere at both grounds.

“We never go into them expecting to win. That is when you slip up.”

Rodgers was talking to Alan Brazil and, of all people, Joey Barton who to be fair did make fun of himself with regards his infamous one and only appearance against Celtic.

One player who caught the former Rangers player’s eye that day, and many more times since, is Kieran Tierney who continues to defy all expectations.

The left-back had another great game at Ibrox, he doesn’t really do bad games, and Rodgers knows what a talent he has.

“Kieran is one of these old school boys in terms of his qualities, determination and he works hard every single day,” said the Celtic manager. “He’s a really good boy, he actually doesn’t know how good he is, which is nice. He has no ego, he just comes in every day and works.


“And he is a huge Celtic fan. If he had scored at the weekend I wouldn’t know what he would have done.

“He had a shot, which went across the goal, but I wouldn’t like to see him score against Rangers if he was on a booking, that’s for sure.”

 

BR: “This is a game both teams will be looking at to have that realistic chance of playing in Europe after Christmas.”

BR: “All games at this level are very tough and we have experienced that over the past few seasons.”

BR: “The idea is to bring in our own game to these games. We did that in the competition last year after the first group match.”

BR: “We are looking to impose our style in the game but we respect the opponents

BR: “It’s a beautiful pitch, the stadium is nice and compact so it should be a good atmosphere. We are looking forward to it.”

BR: “We want to qualify to the #UCL, come in and do well in it. That, of course, is our objective. There’s never an easy game.”


BR on @anthonyralston8: "He has a slight tear of his meniscus which allows him to train and work. It won’t need an operation

BR: "He will be available for us to the weekend and then he will have that rest. We will see where he is at after the int break."

BR on Boyata: "Top-class player and it’s great for him to come back to Brussels, hopefully a good performance."

BRENDAN Rodgers believes Celtic’s steady improvement on the road last season in the UEFA Champions League means they will be confident of producing a mature performance against Anderlecht tomorrow night in Brussels.

After a heavy defeat in Barcelona in the competition 12 months ago, the Bhoys earned a share of the spoils away to Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City to show they had made rapid progress on this front.

It was a trend that continued into this summer as the Hoops successfully negotiated the qualifying rounds of the tournament, with the Hoops harvesting victories away to Linfield and Rosenborg.

And, according to the manager, this demonstrates the strong resilience and belief among his players as they prepare to take on the Belgian title-winners in their second match of Group B.

“They are ready,” he said. “Obviously confidence is high and the players in good condition so we are looking forward to the game.

“If you look at realistically, this is a game both teams will be looking at, to have that realistic chance of playing in Europe after Christmas. But all games at this level are very tough, and we have obviously experienced that in the last couple of seasons.

“But we go into it, knowing we have good confidence in the team and, for us, the idea is to bring our game into these games, and that’s what we did in the competition last year after the first game, and against Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City away, we put in very good performances.

“We will look to impose our style on the game but always respecting that our opponents will have some very good players. It’s a beautiful pitch and the stadium is nice and compact so there should be a good atmosphere and it’s a game we are looking forward to.

“It was a big confidence boost for us in terms of those games away, coming away and playing to that level. At this level, it’s about mentality, going in and having that belief. We showed in those games that we could go in and perform and play well, and it’s about replicating that mentality. That’s my job, to try and convince the players and impose that mentality onto them, that we can come here and play how we play, which is a very aggressive, attacking style but also defending very much together. My job is to try and put that to players that we can continue along that way.

“I think you have have seen in our European games in the main, in qualification, that our performances have been very good and we will try and bring that to the game tomorrow night.”

With Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich - two teams who will have serious designs on winning the UEFA Champions League - favourites to progress from the group, Celtic squaring up to Anderlecht may be seen a more even contest and crucial in determining who secures at least third spot in the section and Europa League involvement after Christmas.

And while the Belgian outfit have struggled for consistency in the opening weeks of the season, leading to the departure of manager Rene Weiler, the Hoops boss still expects a difficult examination in the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.

"They are all pressure games,” he said. “Of course, everyone looks at PSG and those teams as clear favourites in the games and you are always trying to do your best to get a result. In games like this here, it will obviously be a lot tighter in terms of ability and what not.

“But the pressures are still there because it’s what you put on yourself. We qualified for the competition to come and do well in it and that’s our objective. There is never an easy game and coming here, they will be looking to get some confidence and a better level of play.

“They have got an interim manager who has come in and changed the system twice, so it will be interesting to see what they play and how they work. It’s a game where, over the two legs, people will look at and think where it’s an opportunity for both teams to finish in a European place.”

“It’s always sad when a manager loses his job,” continued the Irishman. “Clearly there were some problems there in relation to that. But this is a competition Anderlecht will see to turn that fortune around and you never know what happens with a change of manager: sometimes you can have that bounce effect with the team, or it’s a clean slate again, and sometimes an interim manager will come in and work until a new manager comes in.

“We have tried to do our best to study and analyse Anderlecht. They have lost a couple of games so far in the league which they will be disappointed with, but they will still pose a threat for us in a difficult game, especially away from home.”

 

Not surprised, it's clear Brendan has a ruthless cutting streak, all good managers have one. You only have to look at that famous vid of when Brendan was only in the door at liverpool and they were pre-season training in the States, and Raheem Stirling answered back to him, and he was about to put him on the next plane home for doing so!

It's Brendan's way or no way.

 

That same doc im sure he said somethin like me n you will be dancing out in that park to sterling,sterling clampd it,was last episode half time vs city.

 

And the thing is he walks that line well, like how a di canio or a Keane would try but just end up being total * * and lose the dressing room over it but guys like Brendan, MON to name two seem to have this streak in them that generally they probably the fairest guys you'll work for but you fail to show up and they will totally switch character, just enough so that commands the respect and attention of the player who knows he rightly needs to better.

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/CelticGoals/status/913109486495322112/video/1

 

He's making us magnificent again

 

Am * greeting this mans so good. Fucling yessssssss

 

Guys...anyone know the craic with big Kolo. .
Never see him on the bench at matches or is he a behind the scenes ?
Would love the big fella to be involved on the sidelines. ..the centre half's tonight were awesome.