“It was a brilliant win for us. It was never going to be like last Saturday or Tuesday,” Brendan Rodgers

The Celtic Star

·11 November 2024

“It was a brilliant win for us. It was never going to be like last Saturday or Tuesday,” Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers spoke to the media at Rugby Park after Celtic’s 2-0 win over a battling Kilmarnock side that sent Celtic back to the top of the league heading into the International break. Here’s what the Celtic manager was asked and how he responded…

Brendan Rodgers at Rugby Park. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star.

Q: What did you think of the team’s performance and result today?

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Brendan Rodgers: “It was a brilliant win for us. It was never going to be like last Saturday or Tuesday. You know, Kilmarnock and what they do. They do it exceptionally well. They are very direct. They get it forward. You’ve got to fight and for that, the players deserve a huge amount of credit because they showed another side to the team. I am so pleased. As I said, it’s a pressure game that Kilmarnock play and if you can’t stand up to it and you’re not strong enough and win you’re duels as a team, then you can come unstuck. So, it was a fantastic win for us.”

Greg Taylor in action at Rugby Park. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

Q: You talk about showing the other side of you. It’s a pressure game out there. When you win games like that, can it be just as rewarding for you as a manager, or a group of players, as the big wins on Tuesday night?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, because it’s still a game of football and I think the supporters want to see you stand up and be counted in games like that. The players did that very well.”

Q: Is that a game that maybe 12 months ago you wouldn’t have won?

Brendan Rodgers: “We would have suffered more. I think that we did lose them. That was the reality. We lost in that first six-month period. Now I think you see the difference in the team and the structure and the togetherness, the spirit, everything that you need to win a game like that because you come off the back of two absolutely brilliant wins. You’ve got to come here. It’s not going to be all about the football as much as you want it to be. It wasn’t, but it showed another side to our game, which is very important to have.”

Nicolas Kuhn scores Celtic’s second goal against Kilmarnock. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

Q: They say goal wins matches, defence wins titles. You’ve got Nicolas Kuhn up top, you’ve got Kasper Schmeichel at the back. They were two big, important players for you today, weren’t they?

Brendan Rodgers: “Aye, Kasper made some great saves. You could see him with the ball as well, how he could play through the pressure, which is important. At times we could have held it up better to allow us to join in more. He was tested and had to make saves. I know that’s what he’s world-class at. His shot-stopping is unbelievable. So he was a big reference for us. The first goal came at a really good time for us. In the second half, we know that the next goal is important. Nic does what he’s done well. I think the goal itself was great because Cal comes into space that we like him when there’s pressure on the back line. That frees up Ali to get his touch, plays into depth and then Nicholas’s touch finish. space was so, so good. He was actually more annoyed. he missed the other one before it. That was when I spoke to him afterwards. He’s now starting to get numbers to his game and that was key for us.”

Nicolas Kuhn celebrates with Callum McGregor. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

Q: That’s 21 goal contributions, 10 goals and 11 assists they are incredible numbers, aren’t they?

Brendan Rodgers: “It’s absolutely brilliant but that’s his job. That’s why the money’s in his bank every month. He makes that contribution and he’s been so good.”

Q: Is there a better player in the country right now than Nicholas?

Brendan Rodgers: “There are lots of really good players in the country but I think I’m only focused on what he’s doing for Celtic. He’s doing so well.”

Q: How pleased were you with the game management of your players after that second goal?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, well we had to manage it and break the game up a little bit. I just think naturally how it was as well. So then you’ve got to change the rhythm of the game and slow it down and at times look after the ball. It’s still when you don’t have it, it was coming direct. So you have to deal with that pressure. I thought how he dealt with it was so, so good. I wasn’t a great football guest. I wasn’t like Tuesday night or last week but that’s OK. It takes all different types. But you have to be able to play those different types of games and thankfully this team has come away with a great victory in that type of game.”

Brendan Rodgers at Rugby Park. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star.

Q: Just in general how would you assess where the team is at this stage of the season?

Brendan Rodgers: “I think we’re in a really good place. I said to the players before the game that in life it’s really all about staying on your path. Sometimes that can be difficult but by staying on it you get your rewards in the end. I think this team is just consistently staying on the path, learning, developing, improving and playing some amazing football but also having the dig and the bite that you need to keep clean sheets. So I think we’re in a really good place. We have a little break now. Come back to the absolute ultramarathon spell where every single player will be needed. But it’s so exciting. I think that some of the play that we’ve seen, some of the fight that we’ve had today, I’m so pleased with that.”

Q: Ultramarathon? Is that the way you see it?

Brendan Rodgers: “Ultramarathon? There’s your headline. No, I think it is. Just look at the games between now and February. There is no rest. There’s no breather but we’re fit and ready for it. We’ll keep working, and keep developing the players. I think that’s what’s key. The games are great and the wins and everything but it’s developing the individual player because I always say it’s the individual to get better and then by a consequence, the team improves. So we’ll keep working on that. Lots of the players are going to get lots of game time over the course of the coming months and we will need it.”

Adam Idah celebrates the opener, which was scored by Callum McGregor. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Q: You did it on Tuesday and you did it on Sunday in terms of scoring just before half-time. How important is that for controlling the narrative of the game?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, it doesn’t change the narrative so much but it gives a different feel. It’s a challenge because either way you go in, okay it was 0-0, 1-0. We know the things we’ll have to do in the second half to win the game. Of course when Kilmarnock put so much into the game and physically put everything into it and then you’re still behind, then that’s a challenge. No, I thought it was a great time to score. We’re always alive from the first minute to the last, always looking to attack the game when we can. And we had a few little moments in that first half where we settled the game and nearly got in. Obviously, then we get a bit of fortune for the first goal. But it was always going to take another goal to settle the game for us.”

Celtic players after the game at Rugby Park. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star.

Q: You’re talking about progression and development and the team winning football matches and important ones as well. How enjoyable is this for you as a manager and your time as a career?

Brendan Rodgers: “It’s a great spell. I think everything from the adversity from last year, you’ve got to get through that, which we did do. And then we can settle and progress and develop. But I’ve seen it really from the first day of pre-season. I’ve seen it all map out. The key thing as the manager is always to make sure that the inner voice in the team is strong and the players then get on to the pitch, they’re there to learn and develop and then just continue with that sequence. It’s not just about one or two games, it’s that consistency So I think the players have been absolutely amazing. What physically they’ve given to games, how they’re coping with games and getting the results ultimately. We’re performing to a high level. Then today, like I said, we had to show a different side. It’s a great group to work with but it’s still early. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Celtic fans protest at Rugby Park. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star.

Q: Derek McInnes has spoken about the protest for the minute silence before the game. Do you have a thought on that at all?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, I think if it’s a minute of silence it should be a minute. That’s the reality of it. I think you guys know the script up here at this time of the year. It’s always a challenge but if it’s a minute silence, it’s a minute silence. I think we all want to respect that and we all understand that some don’t. So it can be a divisive one. I understand. But my chat is really for the football and that’s something else that’s outside of that, sadly.”