BRENDAN RODGERS has reflected on this year as it draws to a close. He’s still got two games to play – pretty important ones in the scheme of things – and the Irishman is relishing those as well as the challenges that await him, his players and the supporters in 2019.
“It’s been another memorable year,” Brendan said.
“How the players have developed is always a key measure for me. I ask ‘have the players improved?’, and that makes me and the staff very happy.
“To have won another title and another treble was really, really special. There have been disappointments as well in terms of not qualifying for the Champions League, but over the course it’s been another really special year for us.
“Coming in here in 2016 and now finishing off 2018, everything that’s happened I could only have dreamed of. But we’re very hungry for success.
“The success that’s happened before has been great, but there’s a world of difference between being successful and being hungry for success. That’s something we’re all very keen to continue.”
The events in the summer certainly represent the most difficult period that Rodgers has had to endure since taking over from Ronny Deila on that gloriously sunny afternoon in May 2016. It ended with Celtic losing in Athens to a vastly inferior side to Celtic and AEK as expected went on to finish their Champions League group with zero points.
You get the feeling that had AEK managed to get through to the Europa League by somehow finishing third in that group and were drawn against Celtic, we’d have thrashed them. The disappointment remains tangible when the subject is raised.
“That’s what makes you grow. Those moments where it’s difficult. It was also about learning for me, because we had a situation in the summer that was difficult. It was obviously very testing, but you have to continue to work through that and it’s in those adverse moments that you grow.
“The players then came back on to a really, really good level, we were able to strip it back and give real clarity and purpose to how we play and from that we recreated the dynamic.
“The players have since continued with that. Of course there are going to be little blips along the way but to come through that period was really good. That’s what you have to be able to do.”
Apparently Celtic have never won 5 games in a row at Ibrox. It’s a record that the old club took to its grave but founding father Charles Green’s outfit are now in danger of surpassing that consecutive home defeats record next week.
It’s the reason why there will only be 750 rather than 7500 Celtic supporters there next Saturday. They simply cannot handle Celtic piling on the agony on and off the park. Brendan knows that Ibrox brings the best out in his players as indeed does games at other grounds such as Pittodrie.
Aberdeen are currently in their usual second spot behind Celtic in the league and have been the main rivals to Rodgers’ men since his arrival in Scotland.
“I don’t think it is only there. We relish the big games and the players have shown also that they can perform in them. And things don’t always go our way in them.
“Last year we were behind in the game twice (Beautiful Sunday) and had a man sent off. It hasn’t been all plain sailing but the excellent resilience that they have shown and the quality has been absolutely brilliant. It is a great stadium to go to. There is intensity and there is passion there which is what you want to be involved in.
“As long as you keep control and cope with that intensity then you can play well.”
If Celtic win on Saturday the Rangers fans can look at these five stars they somewhat hilariously wear on their strips and determine that they relate to the number of consecutive wins that Celtic have had at Ibrox or indeed the number of pumpings that Celtic have dished out to them in 2018.
Or maybe it will relate to to the five goals we scored against them to win the league at Celtic Park this year or the five we scored at Ibrox the year before…
Also on The Celtic Star…
Why Rangers News shouldn’t get too excited Rogic missing out on Ibrox…See HERE.
‘Embarrassing. Not acceptable,’ Scotty Sinclair shines a light on shameful racists…See HERE.
Jim Craig – Celtic, four months into the Second World War…See HERE.
‘Not the slightest compunction in fielding Ralston and Johnston at Pittodrie or Ibrox,’ David Potter…See HERE.
‘We’ve Got Mikey, Mikey Johnston…’ Minute by Minute as Celtic beat Dundee 3-0…See HERE.
