“We don’t make statements and do all sorts of things,” Brendan Rodgers

The Celtic Star

·24 de fevereiro de 2025

“We don’t make statements and do all sorts of things,” Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers spoke to the media this afternoon ahead of tomorrow evening’s Scottish Premiership match at Paradise against Aberdeen, who are remarkably the only away team to have scored at Celtic Park in the league this season…

Brendan Rodgers. Hibs v Celtic. 22 February 2025.Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Brendan discussed the ongoing row over the disallowed Daizen Maeda goal at Easter Road on Saturday in the 2- 1 defeat to Hibs, spoke about Philippe Clement who last night was sacked by theRangers and talked about the threat that Jimmy Thelin’s side has ahead of the eagerly awaited match-up tomorrow night.

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Here’s everything that was said in Brendan Rodgers’ latest media conference…

Celtic v Aberdeen – Scottish Premiership – Celtic Park Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers applauds the fans after the final whistle in the match at Celtic Park on Saturday October 19, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

Q: On Saturday’s game, have you had a chance to look at it and what have you spoken to the players about since the match going forward?

Brendan Rodgers: “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. t 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.”

Q: 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?

Brendan Rodgers: “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.”

Q: 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?

Brendan Rodgers: “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.”

Brendan Rodgers comments on the Philippe Clement sacking on the next page…

Brendan Rodgers and Philippe Clement on th touchline at the 2024 Scottish Cup Final. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Q: 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?

Brendan Rodgers: “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 theRangers, 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 (the)Rangers. Expectation is there and that doesn’t stop on a daily basis. You have to then come out and be a consistent winner.”

Ross County interim manager Don Cowie looks towards Rangers manager Philippe Clement as the final whistle sounds. Clement did not shake hands with Cowie at full-time Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

Q: 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?

Brendan Rodgers: “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.”

theRangers manager Philippe Clement and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers embrace on the final whistle after the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between theRangers and Celtic FC at Ibrox Stadium on April 07, 2024. The match ended in a 3-3 victory for Clement. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Q: 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?

Brendan Rodgers: “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 (the)Rangers as well. They need to look at that and his CV to show that (the)Rangers employed a very good manager. That’s what they felt at the time and that’s why they gave him the job.”

Brendan Rodgers talking about Celtic’s professionalism and focus in getting the job done in the remaining matches of this season is on the next page…

Callum McGregor, Hibs v Celtic. 22 February 2025.Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: 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?

Brendan Rodgers: “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.”

Hibs v Celtic. 22 February 2025.Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: How’s the squad for tomorrow?

Brendan Rodgers: “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.”

Paulo Bernardo of Celtic is seen during training on January 28, 2025 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: How’s Paulo looking from the ankle injury? Is he still another three or four weeks behind?

Brendan Rodgers: “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.”

Aberdeen Manager Jimmy Thelin applauds the fans at full-time. Final score Aberdeen 2 theRangers 1. Aberdeen v theRangers, Scottish Premiership, Pittodrie, Aberdeen, 30 October 2024. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

Q: What do you expect from tomorrow night’s game?

Brendan Rodgers: “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.”

Celtic v Aberdeen – Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin centre right shake hands with Gavin Molloy right after the final whistle in the Scottish l Premiership match at Celtic Park on Saturday October 19, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

Q: 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?

Brendan Rodgers: “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.”