“I am at the stage now in my career and my life where I do not need to bite my tongue,” Brendan Rodgers

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Most of Brendan Rodgers’ media conference today centred around his rather extraordinary post-match comments on Sunday afternoon after the 3-0 win over St Mirren at Celtic Park. On what was a freezing cold afternoon at Paradise the rather routine victory stretched the Celtic lead to 13 points and everyone it seemed went away cold but pleased with the outcome…

Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers looks on prior to the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on January 05, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Then Brendan let rip about two things, some groans at the team passing the ball backwards when the game was still goalless and some supporters chanting Kieran Tierney’s name which seemed to upset the manager and also apparently the player, although as has been speculated Taylor did not go down the tunnel in the huff at the final whistle but instead skipped the (somewhat pointless) lap of the stadium to applaud a 95% empty stadium because we was after some treatment for a nose knock.

From my own point of view in the Jock Stein stand lower, I was totally unaware of the Green Brigade chanting the KT song but as mentioned yesterday, there would have been no offence at all intended to Greg Taylor or anyone else. If that’s a cause for friction, skin is getting very thin indeed inside our football club.

Nicolas Kuhn celebrates
Nicolas Kuhn celebrates with teammate Adam Idah after scoring his team’s first goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on January 05, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

On the back-pass groans, again I was not aware of anything out of the ordinary here, in fact the atmosphere in the early stages of the game was subdued maybe because of the defeat at Ibrox but more likely because of the cold. The stadium was also well short of capacity and that always impacts on the atmosphere.

Yes the support can get on the players’ backs on occasion and sometimes it’s out of order. But no-one other than Brendan would have reckoned that was the case on Sunday as they made their way out of the stadium.

Auston Trusty scores
Auston Trusty scores the second goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on January 05, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

As for the post match walk-round, it’s maybe time to shelve this especially during these colder days and night games. Tomorrow with be freezing so wrap up folks! James Forrest is injured and Stephen Welsh looks like he is going to Belgium on loan, other than that today’s media conference was taken up by the manager’s comments on Sunday and the reaction and debate that it generated…

Nicolas Kuhn celebrates
Nicolas Kuhn celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s third goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and St. Mirren at Celtic Park on January 05, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Here’s what was said this afternoon, again with no Celtic fan media present and no explanation ever being given for the club’s decision to break the agreement…

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE…

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About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor David Faulds has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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