"Anything is possible in the game," Brendan Rodgers

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Q: The club released the robust financial accounts yesterday. How important is it to you that that money backs you on the pitch?

Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell and Chief Executive Michael Nicholson in the directors box. Celtic v Kilmarnock, Cinch Scottish Premiership, 17 February 2024. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

Brendan Rodgers: “I think the club have done that. I think the club have been very, very supportive of myself coming back. You can see some of the signings we made in the summer. They’ve been brilliant in that aspect. We as a club, we want to go forward. We all have ambitions to keep proving ourselves at this level. For that you need to build and build and build. And also you have to have half a mind on making sure you’re a sustainable club. So I think from the accounts aspect it’s obviously very, very healthy. Of course as a manager we want to put those funds and some of that fund into the team, but you’ve seen that the club have done that. Hopefully we can do that going forward.”

Cameron Carter-Vickers during the UEFA Champions League Training at Lennoxtown Training on February 11, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Is Cameron Carter-Vickers okay? Is he fit? Is he available?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, he’s fit and available. We gave a few of the boys a bit of a rest at the weekend. But yeah, he’s fine. He has played against Harry Kane before in training and whatnot. So yeah, he’s okay.”

Q: Against Aston Villa Celtic were quite aggressive, pressing very high up the pitch. Feyenoord, however, when they were playing Bayern Munich, they wanted to sit back and restrict Bayern’s space in the centre of the field. What consideration have you made when deciding how to set up against an organised press, against such a quality opposition?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, a mixture really. I think if you see the Feyenoord game, from a static position they’re looking to press. Once the press is broken, then you will cover in behind the ball. When you’re playing the really, really top teams, you have to pivot in those strategies in terms of, there has to be moments when you can press the game. A lot of the time it’s from that static goal kick position when you’re there. The minute that gets broken, then you’ve got to recover and deny space. So I would think you’d probably say a wee bit of both. I think that’s the balance we need in the game. And then when we play and we take the ball, we have to then play with our authority in the game, which is important.”