BRENDAN RODGERS was unaware that last night’s impressive 5-0 win against Dundee at Dens Park was his 100th win as Celtic manager in competitive action. And on hearing the news his immediate thought was that he wished he’d done better.
“I didn’t know it was my 100th win. Someone just told me there. We should have had more! How many games have I had? 144? How many losses? Twenty-one? That’s too many. I should have won more.
“I’m always proud to manage the club. My job is to give the fans as many wins as I can. We need 101 now,” Brendan said after the 5-0 win in his post match media conference.
Reviewing the action at Dens Park, the Celtic manager had a great deal to be pleased with.
“We played very well. The team was very cohesive in our pressing and creativity, played to really high level technically. We also showed level of our fitness, that ability to pass and move. You need fitness.
“Coming off the back of a really tough game at the weekend, it was a great demonstration,” he noted.
Celtic’s scoring ended just after the interval, which would have been a relief for new Dundee boss Jim McIntrye who would have feared the worst after Ryan Christie got the scoring started in the second period. But he was spared a cricket score – although how Kieran Tierney failed to score from a splendid Daniel Arzani cross is a mystery to Rodgers!
“Kieran should have scored at the back post. Kieran is always in the wars. He gives his best. He’s an incredible talent.
“I would like to have seen him score. We need to work on that right foot!
“Arzani is a great boy and it’s unfortunate he picked up the injury with a run in the game. I think his knee just sort of gave way and he felt it a bit unstable.
“He was taking the applause on the way out, so I’m not sure how sore it was! The only boy to be on a stretcher on his side. I don’t think it was killing him.”
Back to reviewing the technical aspects of the Celtic performance, Rodgers concluded that he was satisfied with his team’s shift in the City of Discovery.
“The combination play was good. We were a little bit too stretched at the beginning. But we started to find the gaps and that allowed us to make those moves in behind. That’s important when teams sit deep,” Brendan noted.
“We pressed without the ball and, when you have it, some of the goals were real quality.
“My only criticism at half-time was the back four was too deep. But every other element of our spacing was good. I tend to want goal scorers on the pitch, as many as I can. Five different scorers showed it was working.
“The concentration has been on getting back to our level. We’re right in the flow now, in terms of goals and creativity.
“We scored five very good goals and could have had more. It was huge credit to the fitness of the boys. We pressed the game really well and showed a lot of desire to go and score goals,” Brendan said.
The Irishman had a kind word or two for his counter-part in the home dug-out. Jim McIntrye has now been on the end of three heavy defeats in a row as Dundee manager and has yet to see his team score a single goal. It is a tough task for the former Ross County manager – still can’t believe that they sacked him after he won them the League Cup!
“Jim McIntyre is a very good manager but he’s just in and finding out about his players. We had to work hard. Dundee hadn’t had a game for a while and were fresh.
“To play to the level we did you need to be fit. These guys show that every week, along with a hunger and humility.
“We had a big semi-final on Sunday but the appetite to go and play again was very clear,” Brendan said.
Also on The Celtic Star….
Jim Craig – Referee Bobby Davidson enrages Jock Stein…See HERE.
“You cannot pass on that which is undefinable, this is a new Rangers,” Donald Findlay QC….See HERE.
David Potter: “There is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood, leads on to victory” says William Shakespeare…See HERE.
Ton Up Rodgers, Piling on Dee Agony, putting on Dee style…See HERE.
Oh, Oh, Oh It’s Magic…Rod falls in love at Dens Park…See HERE.
