DELIGHTED Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for his players who stepped up to challenge to emphatically defeat Aberdeen and effectively put Derek McInnes’ side out of the title race that never was.
The Dons fancied their chances of getting something from the Champions who were just back from their defeat to Zenit in the Europa League.
Celtic arrived at Pittodrie on 98 goals across all competitions this season and left with a one hundred goal total, a clean sheet (with Dorus De Vries competent in goals) and of course the most important thing – the three points.
And Rodgers certainly understood the significance of the result.
“It was always going to be a big game – they always are against Aberdeen,” Rodgers said.
Yesterday Rangers had won at Ibrox against Hearts and had Aberdeen been able to take anything today then the press would have been all over their title challenge. But Celtic stopped that hype in its tracks with goals from Moussa Dembele and Kieran Tierney. Rodgers acknowledged this in passing.
“When you play a day later there can be a bit more pressure on you. We focus on ourselves and what we can do,” he said.
“But to go to Aberdeen and win after the game midweek was a brilliant victory for us.
“It came 72 hours after we had come back from Russia. It is a tough place to come for an away game so soon after that.
“But I thought we dealt with everything really, really well.
“We showed real resilience and good mentality when we went down to 10 men. To manage the game in that situation and score a brilliant counter attacking goal was pleasing.
“All in all, I am really proud of the players today. It was always going to be a really tough game. It was another signpost towards where we want to go and a fantastic win for us.”
“From the clearance young Odsonne took a great touch. Lots of players would just hook that on and give the ball away. He showed great composure to play it out and the speed of the four players breaking forward was great.
“Kieran won the race. He showed why he’s officially the quickest player in the squad and produced a wonderful finish. It was great desire from him – and all of them – to get there and finish with such power.”
On his skipper “Browny”, Rodgers was full of praise as usual, especially when leading the team when it was 11 v 10 after the Lustig red card.
“We have a plan when we go down to 10 men. We’ve only had to do it once before – away at Hamilton – but the players understand the shape of the team when we lose a player.
“Scott is a big game player, especially in those moments. When it goes to 10 men he revels in it even more. Browny is a brilliant leader. It was a naughty challenge on him from the boy who got sent off.
“It was a naughty challenge on him by the boy who got sent off. But he bounces back up again. He’s a real player of dominance in the big games and he showed it again today.”
“But he takes it, shrugs it off and gets back up again to dominate the game. He’s a big game player and showed it again today.
On the first goal, scored by Dembele but put on a plate for him be the Prestwick Pele, James Forrest, Rodgers said:
“The first goal was a really great example of our players’ technical qualities on a really difficult surface. It was a great goal, good passing and movement and a great header by Moussa. We had more chances in the first half and we controlled things. We showed real resilience and mentality to manage the game when we went down to 10 men and score a brilliant counter-attacking goal.
“I’m really proud of the team, it’s always going to be a really tough game here. We know the signpost of where we want to go and today was a fantastic win for us.
WERE ABERDEEN SCARED OF CELTIC? DAVID POTTERS ASKS…READ HERE.
FIVE TALKING POINTS AS CELTIC BEAT ABERDEEN…READ HERE
TODAY’S PLAYER RATINGS…READ HERE
AND ALSO ENJOY…Johnny Doyle was simply one of us – a bhoy who, like his close friend Tommy Burns, lived the dream…read HERE.
