Brendan Rodgers Media Conference – Here I am stuck in the middle with you

Brendan Rodgers spoke to The Celtic Star and other outlets at Lennoxtown yesterday afternoon as the Celtic boss looks ahead to the season kicking off this weekend. The main subject was his own future at the club and whether he will remain at Celtic or not beyond this summer will now be determined by the level of ambition shown by the cash conscious Celtic Board. Celtic at a Crossroads – Lofty Aspirations or Settling for Mediocrity…

Q: As you sit here at the start of a new season, how are you feeling about everything—the club, the team—heading into the new campaign?

Brendan Rodgers:  “When you do all your preparation work over the pre-season, it’s always built towards this moment. The players are really well prepared; we’ve worked very, very hard over the course of pre-season. This is my third pre-season since I’ve come back, and the metrics of the team and the squad that we’ve had are at their highest over the course of the pre-season. So, in terms of the guys that are here, they’ve worked so hard. Everyone at the club has put together a fantastic pre-season program for us, and now we arrive in these last couple of days ready for Flag Day, which is a special day for us.”

Q: Last season, you had a really successful pre-season as well, and you spoke often about the way the team just carried their form through into the season itself and had such a successful season. Is that something you can see happening again with the pre-season you’ve had?

Brendan Rodgers:  “I think, as you say, last season we continued with that momentum that we’d gained. But it’s never guaranteed. You know, I’ve done many a pre-season now, and some of them haven’t been so good, and then you arrive, and you can make a great start to your season. But of course, you’d rather things go smoothly. All I can say is that from our work here when we first came back, to our travels to Cork, and then on to Portugal, and then finally Lake Como, the preparation has been so good. Everything from the facilities, we can’t have any complaints. So, it’s been really good and now sets us up for the weekend.”

Q: Talk to us about your aims for the season?

Brendan Rodgers:  “The aim as a Celtic manager is always to dominate every competition. We obviously qualify for the Champions League which we want to arrive at, and we want to be really competitive in that competition if we arrive there. That was our idea last year; nothing’s changed. You add to that the pressure here at Celtic is always about not just winning but winning in a style of football that is the pursuit of the teams here—to play attacking, aggressive football. So, it’s not just about winning, it’s how we win, which is important for us.”

Q: First up is St Mirren. You know what you get from Stephen Robinson’s teams. He’s changed the squad a bit as well, hasn’t he? What are you expecting from them?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Very much the same. Watching the game pre-season, watching their games and studying them, Stephen’s an outstanding coach and manager. He’s done a really good job with the teams that he’s been with up here. We saw it in the last game of the season. They’ll probably be low on the pitch, making the spaces very tight, so we have to be fast, we have to get the ball moving quickly, be really dynamic with and without the ball, and counter-press really well to stop their counter-attacks. They are a big, athletic team and will prove, I’m sure, a really tough opponent for us. So we know we have to be playing well to get the result.”

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Q: What can you tell us in terms of Jahmai Simpson-Pusey?

Brendan Rodgers:  “A very gifted young player, obviously coming through the system there at Manchester City. His profile fits very much what we want from a centre-half. He’s quick, he’s dominant, he’s a good defender, and of course, at Celtic, your centre-halves need to be able to progress the ball. That’s a big strength of his. So we’ve taken him on loan for a year. We always need all our centre-halves at Celtic; you play so many games, so many intense games, and he’ll join our squad. He’s obviously a little bit behind because he hasn’t played so many games over the course of pre-season, but we’ve brought him through for the rest of the season, and hopefully, we can close that one out today.”

Q: How far do you think the squad is from where you want it to be?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Well, we’re still… we’ve still got a wee bit of work to do. I think that it’s a huge credit to the guys who are here and how well they’ve worked. But the squad will hopefully look different again come the end of the window. I think it’s very clear we need to improve in the front end of the pitch. The attacking department is always and always will be the strength of my teams, and we’ve lost important players in that area, and we need to replace them.”

Q: You mentioned the end of the window. With it closing a couple of weeks earlier, does that bring greater urgency to do your work and get the players you want?

Brendan Rodgers: “No, I think every coach will tell you and every manager, you would want your players in for the first day of pre-season to prepare them. That’s why you do pre-season, to prepare. But if they’re not available or you can’t get the right players that you want, then of course you have to wait. I’m experienced enough now as a manager to not get frustrated. You become quite philosophical on these types of topics now, and I just know that where we need to improve, and I’m sure by the end of the window that we will do. And of course, the quicker that can be, the better.”

Q: Would you hope to be a little bit earlier than last time around, or would you envisage business getting done late?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yeah, I don’t know. I think it’s… I don’t conclude the deals. The deals are…there are always time lags on them for different reasons. But I think that, come the end of that period, of course, we would want to… we would love to get players in earlier. There’s no doubt I would have liked to have players in now, but it’s not the case. So I’m not going to kill my own joy and overthink stuff. I focus on what’s here. We know the work that we need to do, and it’s my responsibility to convince the club that we really need them. I’m not doing that job as well as maybe what I can, but I will continue to pursue that because it’s something that’s important for us.”

Q: Is it fair to say the attacking area is a priority for you?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yeah, no shadow of a doubt. Like I said, it’s… people say, is it frustrating? It’s arithmetic for me. I’ve said it during the week. It’s just pure counting. If you count up the players that have lost in that area over the last period, who have gone, then clearly we need to replace that. It’s a key part of our team, it’s a key part of how we play, it’s a key part of what excites supporters, and that’s what we want to bring to the club.”

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Q: Has there been any update on your own contract talks?

Brendan Rodgers:  “There’s no further update, no. And for the sake of honesty and clarity, I can tell you exactly where we’re at. So, I said when I came here first that I’d do a minimum of three years. People had me out the door at the end of last season. I was going to various places. I said then, like I’ll say now, there’s nowhere to go. I love being here. I’ve done two years; I’ve got one more year to go.

“Dermot, Michael, and I had a conversation over the summer on where we were at and where it sits with me and everything else. And I said I’m very happy here. There are conditions we want to be able to improve and be better, because I’m not the type of manager who’s for maintaining anything. If it’s just something to maintain, I’m not the manager for Celtic. It’ll be someone else.

“But to build and grow and develop and push, then of course, I love being at Celtic. So, when that time comes, when the club offers me a deal or not, then it doesn’t make a difference to me because I will every single day of my life give everything here to the very last day.

“And when the club feels there’s a time to make an offer, then they will do so. But as I said, it’s slightly different from a manager’s perspective from a player. For players, clubs need to ensure that they’re tied in, especially at this time of the year when there’s maybe only a short time left. It’s slightly different for a manager, but it doesn’t change my hunger and desire here for the work.”

Q: Would that be your message to the support—that you are working behind the scenes to get things to another level from last season?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Well, that’s… that is a clear message. I’m not the one who’s to sit here and just maintain levels. My coming here to Celtic is… this is a really fast-moving club, and you have to keep moving, move quickly. It’s one of the biggest clubs in world football that has a demand and an expectation of it. And the only way you get better within that is by improving and developing. So, the message to the supporters is, everyone here, we will be doing our utmost to improve on last season. And it’s a really exciting season ahead. I’m so looking forward to it. And like I said, if we can add to where we need to add, then it can be even better for us.”

Q: Can we take it from that, then, that if you feel the club’s ambition matches yours, you would be quite open to staying beyond this season?

Brendan Rodgers:  “No, I don’t want to be really arrogant to say that. You know, I think that Celtic has an expectation and should have an expectation because of the size of the club we are and what the demands are here. What I’m saying, for clarity, is I love being here. And yes, there have been some challenges on the pitch and off the pitch since I’ve arrived, but that’s management, that’s coaching.

“But in the main, I’ve absolutely loved it here. And I will continue to do so, however long that is. But like I said, there has to be that ambition from everyone. It’s no good for the manager to have it and the players not, or whatever else. Everything has to be aligned. And I know that the club are also very keen to continue to progress and develop.”

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Q: Are you not concerned at all about the narrative about you and your future here proving disruptive this season if nothing happens with your contract?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Well, it depends on who it disrupts. It certainly won’t be the players. It won’t be the staff. And it won’t be me. Because I give everything here. It’s the reason I came back. I didn’t have to, but I wanted to, and I want to continue with that. So, I don’t feel it will disrupt. Of course, I know in your world there’s lots of speculation around it, but that’s why I said, being honest and being clear with you where it sits right at this very day. But it’s not going to distract. The focus is very much on the team and improving the squad. And like I said that ambition for Celtic to be the best is all I’m concentrated on. So no, I don’t think it will be a disruption at all.”

Q: How important do you think this window is going to be in terms of the calibre of player that you bring in and whether that will allow you to go to that next level, for example, in Europe?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Well, I think every window is important. I don’t think just this window. I think it’s important this summer because of the needs of the team. The needs of the team are clear. If you watch Celtic or you know football, you see where we need to improve. But that doesn’t change. Every window we want to come out of it being stronger as a squad, where we can, and this window is no different.”

The Celtic Star: Has there been any indication of players that the club might be after, who are waiting to see if you get into the Champions League before they commit?

Brendan Rodgers:  “No. No, I don’t think that’s… we haven’t had any indication from any player that that’s the way. And I think the players that we bring here are players that are here to develop and improve, and they see this as a wonderful place to do that. So, no, I think being in the Champions League or not won’t be a hindrance to bringing in really good players to Celtic.”

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The Celtic Star: How would a young Paul McStay perform in your team, and would you like to have managed him?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Paul McStay would probably play in two positions for me. He was amazing. When the club spoke to me and told me that there was the possibility of him coming to do the flag day, I went into my boy mode again and… what an amazing icon of the club he is. It’s just a shame you don’t see so much of him; he’s obviously on the other side of the world. But that was my memories growing up.

“You know, with Paul on the team… just an icon of the club and such a humble guy. I had the privilege of meeting him for the first time when I was here. He came into my office, and it was just… what a brilliant player. So to see him on Sunday will be amazing. He was such an icon at such a tough time for Celtic as well, but just a… I can’t speak highly enough of him as a player, and obviously, the humility he has. I don’t know Paul that well, but I know many people who do, and like I said, he was… just meeting him when I did that first time, he just… the humility of the guy when really all I wanted to do was bow at his feet. He’s such a brilliant player.”

The Celtic Star: There must be a lesson as well for when Celtic were struggling and he was captain, that he stayed at the club when he had big offers from Italy?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yeah, and I think that’s the decision. You see the likes of Callum and those guys that have come through the system and will end their careers probably here, I’m sure. And Paul did that when he had that opportunity. I remember at the time, the likes of even Everton and clubs like that, who in those sorts of times were right at the top of the game. But yeah, listen, everyone’s… every individual is different. I think for him and boys like Tommy and guys like that, they were… they absolutely love Celtic and they love being here. You can’t knock anyone, whether they stay or whether they go, but as long as they give everything whilst they’re here and however long they’re here, that’s all you can ask.”

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Q: There’s obviously been big changes at (the)Rangers. How do you see the challenge from them this season?

Brendan Rodgers:  “I think the challenge is always… that excites you when you come into a new season. Russell [Martin], I don’t know that well, but I’ve spoken to him, and as a young manager and coach through his career, he’s done very well. I followed him at Swansea, as a former club, and he did well there. Then moving on, getting Southampton promoted is as good… I know how, you know, to take a team out of the Championship, it’s a tough, tough league. And he was able to do that. And then obviously the Premier League, it’s a really harsh place, it can be, and obviously then it was a difficult season for them.

“But Russell, having been up here before, knows the pressures because one of the big things of managing Celtic and (the)Rangers is managing pressure. The football idea and the coaching are obviously very important to have an identity and a style, but managing and playing under pressure is what’s key up here. And Russell, having been here before as a player at Rangers, will know what’s in front of him. But I think Rangers, Derek at Hearts, and a change at Killie with Stuart as well. I think the managers coming into the league… John [McGlynn] has done a brilliant job at Falkirk over a couple of seasons, getting them promoted, and I know him well, so I know that they’ll be giving everything to stay in the league.

“David Martindale, a good man who was in the league for a few years when I was here before and then obviously they went down, so they’ve come back up. Again, experienced managers. So I think the league as a whole will be strong and competitive.

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Q: How is your team looking? Any injuries?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yeah, no, no, I think everyone at this moment in time is okay. We’ve got one more game to go. Obviously, Jota is out, but everyone else is in a good place.”

Q: Is it too early for Jahmai?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yeah, yeah, obviously the signing has to be signed first. And once that’s done, then we can measure where he’s at. He’s been training at Manchester City with not a lot of game time, so we need to just assess that, but it’s a long loan.”

Q: Would you expect any outgoings and incomings?

Brendan Rodgers:  “I will speak to some of the guys this afternoon. Nothing really is on the radar as of yet, but you never know, things can move quickly.”

Q: You want another defender with Jahmai? Does he seem like the final defender?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Adding him to our group makes us stronger in that department. So yeah, there are lots of links with various players, but yeah, I would see him being our… I say last defender, last central defender.”

Q: Can you see Jahmai coming in to compete for a regular starting place?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Yeah, I think all the players are here to compete. They’re all here to compete. There’s always the opportunity for any player to come in and play, no matter how old. I’ve put young players in front of international players before. So every player that comes in has the opportunity to start. But yeah, we’ll assess him on where he’s at and his fitness and his football when he comes in and take it from there.”

Q: You mentioned the final defender. Do you think you may look to sign another left-back, or have you been very happy with Iwata and Inamura and how they’ve done in that role in pre-season?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, for guys who have only been playing it for a short time, I think they have done really well. I’m assessing it every day and taking a real close look at certain aspects of his game. He’s done well, and we have to make sure that by the end of the month, we’ve got it absolutely right for us going forward into certainly, into the next period. In fairness to the boy, as I said, his plan was that he’d just… he’d come in and then probably go out on loan. I mentioned that right at the very beginning. That was the plan for him. But he’s come in and coped well. But we’ll see over the coming weeks where we’re at.”

Conor Spence

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