Brendan Rodgers has addressed the narrative of a perceived crisis at the club, after he believes that’s what the Scottish media are portraying.
Rodgers highlighted the contrast between the media’s portrayal of Celtic and his own perspective. He acknowledged the levels of performance and the differences in how his current tenure is being reported compared to his first spell with the club. Nevertheless, he maintains a positive outlook, believing that the team is in a good place and will continue to improve, with hopes of enhancing the squad further.
They have went to some tough away grounds, including Ibrox, and taken three points and put in commendable performances in the Champions League, which saw the first win at Celtic park in over a decade.
Although, it’s fair to criticise the performances that fans are watching week in and week out, and call out the extremely poor summer window which has left just one signing a first-team regular.
The inconsistency of the team’s performance has been a point of concern for Rodgers, who recognises the need to achieve a more stable level of play. He views the big games, like the upcoming derby against Rangers, as crucial moments for the team to demonstrate their capabilities and potentially silence critics. And, so far this season, Celtic have turned up in the big games.
Brendan Rodgers said [Glasgow Times]: “I think if you read or listen to everything in the media you would feel we were in constant crisis mode here. That’s what I feel. But I don’t think that way at all.
“It’s just levels, isn’t it? I think it’s just levels. But for me there is no difference [to the first time I was here]. I just think it’s maybe how it gets reported and how it is out there. For me we are still in a good place as a team. We are going to get better. We will hopefully improve the squad. Like I say, we’ll see where we get to at the end of the season.
“It’s another great game for us. I think going into that last game [at Ibrox] we were off the back of not a really good result. We had performed well against St Johnstone but didn’t get the result. This time we are going in with a good feeling.
“I think the big games always give you the chance to impose yourself. We have been a little bit inconsistent. When we have been good, we have been good in games. But we need to find that consistency. I think these games speak for themselves. We can go in and perform to a really high level and that will give us a chance to get the result.”
A win against Rangers would not only bolster Celtic’s position in the title race but also serve as a response to the criticism the club has faced recently. However, a negative result could amplify the critiques.
