Brendan Rodgers made a rather amusing final remark in his post-match interview last night with Jane Lewis from BBC Radio Scotland after his side hammered Dundee 7-1 with seven different Celtic goalscorers at Celtic Park.
The two were involved in a media storm in a teacup controversy after the Celtic manager used the expression, ‘Good Girl’ at the end of a tense interview at Fir Park at the weekend. This was jumped upon by all sorts of vested interests while the two folk involved didn’t really get what the fuss was all about.
This evening Jane Lewis finished by asking what he’s said to his players that got the brilliant reaction this evening and Rodgers – quick as a flash joked, ‘well it wasn’t what I said to you!” The BBC journalist certainly appreciated the moment.
Here’s how the interview went this evening on a night where Celtic sorted out the goal difference deficit on theRangers who sneaked a 2-1 win down at Kilmarnock to maintain a two points advantage for now.
Jane Lewis: Was it the high level of performance that pleased you the most tonight?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yes. We always look at the performance. You can see players starting to return and how that connects everything in our team. I thought the level of our football for large parts of that was really good. The speed and touch-pass tempo was excellent. We created a lot of opportunities and what was really pleasing in the second half was that we didn’t get into our comfort zone. We still kept pushing and we were creative. We had seven different goalscorers which was great as that shows what we want in the team as we need the whole team to contribute goals. Overall it was a fantastic performance and a great result for us.”
Jane Lewis: I know it is all about the squad but your starting eleven were bang on the money, weren’t they? They really set the tone.
Brendan Rodgers: “Yes. It is what has been missing for us all season that connection and the importance of players who have been out. If ever there was a night to demonstrate that it was tonight. Cameron coming back in just frees up other players in areas of the field. I thought Adam Idah was a great reference point for the team. His set-up play and threat when the ball came into the box was great. I thought Yang was fantastic. It was great to see him as earlier on in the season he had a problem with the young wing-back who did really well against him. I thought tonight he was very good. Inside or outside he was very creative. Overall it was very pleasing and the manner of it is always important.”
Jane Lewis: You had the chance to make changes because you were so far ahead but the tempo did not go down. Nothing was disrupted. How pleasing an aspect was that for you?
Brendan Rodgers: “I said at half-time you can either do one or two things here you can applaud yourself and come in here at full-time and it is still 6-0 and you’d be disappointed. The players showed that drive and determination as we created other opportunities and their goalkeeper made a couple of good saves and we hit the crossbar. It was brilliant for young Daniel Kelly. It is so nice when you get a homegrown player as he has been here since he was eight years of age. I saw him in pre-season and I really like what he has. He has good physicality and he has an incredible attitude for a young player. It was just really about timing for him and to give him the chance to come in and he scored a really good goal.”
Jane Lewis: There was great energy from the players but there was great energy from the crowd as well. You spoke about that in your pre-match interview and how important was it to see that back?
Brendan Rodgers: “It was very important. Celtic is a club that is all about the players, the manager and the supporters being together, Whoever the manager is. It is so important that you have that. Nights like that took me back to back to when I was first here. That feeling, that football, that level, that performance, that intensity, and everyone enjoying it. We are here to entertain the supporters and we are here to win. Celtic is very much a club about playing a level of football that gets the supporters excited and I think they were that tonight.”
Jane Lewis: Finally was that performance coming or did something spark it? Did you say something in midweek to get the players fired up for this match?
Brendan Rodgers: “It certainly wasn’t what I said to you!”
🗣️”Nights like that there just take me back to when I was first here.”
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers enjoyed the “togetherness” around Celtic Park during his side’s 7-1 thrashing of Dundee tonight.#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/K0YBfXJGeO
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) February 28, 2024
