Q: Brendan, what have you done differently this week, if anything, to almost change that from your players? You’ve been so good all season but as you said, you’ve just been a bit comfortable going into these games. Have you changed the message then to your players this week or is it something that they know themselves that they have to win this game?
Brendan Rodgers: “You have to know that I hear the talk up here about meaningless games, there’s never that. A Celtic theRangers game, there’s never a meaningless game or there’s nothing in the game, there’s everything in this game, everything. So we have to go and prove that on the field. Yes, we are champions, the best team, the most consistent team, the mentality, Champions League progression, all of this here but these are important games. So the messaging, no, our preparation has been really good, we had a little hiccup against St. Johnstone, from that you see the reaction, the players have been brilliant. I always think now at this stage of the season, we’ve set targets, we’ve set goals for the last five games and the cup final, we’re also preparing for next season. We’re trying to look to finish strong so we can prepare for that as well.”
Barry Ferguson, Interim Manager of theRangers, celebrates with backroom staff after Mohamed Diomande scored the team’s second goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Q: What have you made of theRangers or what do you expect from theRangers this weekend because since Barry Ferguson has come in, they’ve been up and down against themselves, what do you expect on Sunday?
Brendan Rodgers: “Listen, I think it’s been a difficult one for Barry to come into. I think what Barry has done is Barry has helped connect the supporters and the club. He’s a player who had a great career there. The challenge for Barry to start coming in is that it’s a different generation of player that you’re working with to when they would have played and even coached a number of years back. So the generation of player now is totally different and obviously they’ll demand a greater standard and a greater consistency.
Celtic v theRangers stats
“I said before that you look at it over a period of time and you would say that it’s probably pretty much the same. Some really good European performances, a wee bit up and down in the league but I think the difference being that at least theRangers supporters, they can connect with Barry when he’s saying it and speaking it. I thought he spoke really well and very honest in his appraisal of his team. Then the fans can at least connect with that as sort of one of their own really.
“So that’s where they’re at. I think we’ve seen that they’ve played well in games and like I say other games that they would have wanted to have done better in. But for us really we have to go in and perform in this game.”
Q: There’s been a lot of talk around a potential takeover at theRangers. You yourself have so many points clear, you’ve already wrapped up the league on foot travel. But next season going forwards, do you expect more of a challenge from theRangers next campaign?
Brendan Rodgers: “Talk to me in the summer on that. We’re not even finished this season yet. I know there’s not a lot for you to write about or talk about or speak about. But speak about this season first. Speak about how good Celtic have been and how consistent we’ve been and how our mentality has been really good. And how this group of players, despite some knockbacks, they keep going and they keep fighting and they keep running and they keep working. And we can speak about next season then.”
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