Following Celtic’s shock defeat at Rugby Park, manager Brendan Rodgers highlighted the pitch conditions as a significant factor that made playing at Kilmarnock’s home ground challenging.
Rugby Park has one of the poorest plastic pitches in the country, and on Sunday, it looked worse than ever.
When asked about the difficulties of playing at Rugby Park, Rodgers was forthright in his response. “The pitch. The pitch, there’s nothing else,” he stated live post-match on Viaplay. For a team like Celtic, known for their swift ball movement and fluid play, the pitch conditions can play a pivotal role in dictating the tempo of the game. When playing on the dry and sticky pitch, like Celtic played on today, the possession-based football that Rodgers wants his team to play is hard to pull off.
“When you’re a team that is looking to move the ball quickly, and when you’re up against an opponent who is organised, fit, and strong, you need the ball to move fast,” Rodgers elaborated. He implied that the pitch at Rugby Park didn’t allow for the kind of quick ball movement Celtic typically thrives on.
However, Rodgers was quick to ensure his comments didn’t come across as mere excuses for the defeat. “But, I’m not wanting to make any excuses,” he added. “It’s a tough place to come, and today we didn’t do enough.”
Rodgers’ comments shine a light on the intricacies and challenges teams face when playing away, where factors like pitch conditions can significantly influence the outcome of a match. Celtic fans will be hoping the team can adapt to such challenges in future fixtures and deliver the performances they are known for.
