Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers addressed his decision to hand two summer signings their first starts this afternoon against Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup.
Rodgers made the bold decision to change the entire back four, a move influenced by injuries to both Alistair Johnston and Cameron Carter-Vickers, who were sidelined for the match.
Rodgers said: (The Celtic Way), “The players have worked really hard and they’ll benefit from that. Alex Valle played an hour, Auston Trusty played 90 minutes.
“They’re coming into a complex system and that’s why we didn’t throw them in straight away, they’ve come in with hardly any training.
“Now they’re up to speed a little bit and they understand how we want to work, how we play and the movement patterns. I thought it was a good game to introduce them to.”
A tough first start for Trusty and Valle this afternoon, with Falkirk at the very top of their game for the first 70 minutes, which is as tough a challenge that any new player could expect to face in a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final.
Intime, Trusty and Valle will understand the style that Rodgers employs at Celtic, with his possession-based football and the movements on and off the ball, which can be tough to grasp at first for a new player.
Overall, Celtic got the win, but it was certainly a day of learning for the defensive duo, with two goals conceded in their first start for the Hoops.
