Brendan Rodgers on the defensive aspect of Celtic’s play this season…
“Obviously you always want balance in your team, both from an offensive and defensive situation and from a defensive perspective it’s not just back four and goalkeeper, we defend well as the team, working very hard in their pressing and their counter-pressing and when it gets to the back four when they have to make blocks or the keeper makes saves then they’re there to stand up.
Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 27 September 2025. Photo IMAGO Stuart Wallace IMAGO Shutterstock
“So I look at that part of the game equally in balance with the offensive side. That part is really good but now it’s improving the hardest part of the game which is improving the trajectory of the team with the goals.”
Brendan Rodgers on utilising his squad as the fixture list intensifies…
“It’s the name of the game at a big club, you rely on all your players. You’ll get some niggles along the way but that desire and mentality to win must always be there. So I’m really pleased with the baseline idea of the players and what they are looking to bring and it will increase and improve as we go through the season. It’s how you want it, really exciting, lots of games, lots of opportunities to perform and our next game is obviously on Thursday.”
Continues on the next page…
Celtic more than capable of beating itself on current form especially if the ineffectual Ralston Engels Maida are picked, or at least securing another bore draw. Time to get Liewwell in the dugout seeing as he’s already picking the team.
We have to start seeing progress at europa league level, to even consider getting back to becoming CL level for next season, simple as that.
We are nowhere near such levels, if we aren’t capable of scoring goals, the deciding factor in matches.
Losing the amount of goals from last season, was always going to be a massive problem to resolve, especially within the markets we operate within.
Hardly helped with Maeda not on his game either at present.
Attacking players need goals to boost their own confidence levels, so hopefully this gets resolved quickly, as starting to become a requirement for ourselves, especially within our bigger games.
We are yet to click in that department, and no better time than the next available game.
Even at that, we still need more than just trying to depend upon our 3 starting players in such areas also.
That still looks a work in progress, especially with the 5 sub rule in operation nowadays.
So changes will occur during the match tomorrow night, and little signs to date that such changes are going to actually make an impact for ourselves to date.
The longer the lack of goals continue, the more the pressure will increase upon the attacking options.
Will take any form of victory’s over the next 2 games, for now.
Especially with the amount of work that still looking like a requirement for ourselves, over the international break in our attacking areas.
Hopefully there chances will improve with a better functional midfield also. With the amount of goals lost from last season, the midfield areas are hopefully going to start contributing more also within the goal scoring and assisting department also.
They have hardly crowned themselves in glory either, within the start of the season imo.