Brendan Rodgers has hit back at Celtic’s ‘panic’ merchants after they bounced back from last weekend’s goalless draw at Tannadice with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Motherwell on Boxing Day.
The Hoops were lacklustre against Dundee United, but they blew away any concerns among fans with a ruthless display on Sunday.
It took the Celts a while to get going against the Steelmen, with Arne Engels opening the scoring from the spot late in the first half. Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn, and Reo Hatate added some gloss to the scoreline in the second 45.
Post-Motherwell, boss Rodgers hit back at those who were alarmed about the recent draw with United: “This time last year, we’d lost a couple of games and drawn maybe three,” he said (The Celtic Way).
“I can’t have too many complaints, really. I heard someone say the other day there’s no need to panic. That was an interesting one! Some of the supporters were saying there’s no need to panic because we drew a game.
“My idea is the long game. I’ve got to look after the whole campaign and get us through game after game when it’s so busy. And until this point and this year, the players have been absolutely fantastic, having only lost two games [in 2024]. It’s been absolutely superb.”
Celtic have been terrific this calendar year. There were some teething issues when Rodgers initially returned to the club in 2023, but he now has a group that completely understands what he wants, and that is no more coherent than with results on the pitch.
The Hoops’ sole two 2024 losses came amid mitigating circumstances, too. One was away to Hearts amid several contentious refereeing decisions, and the other was against last season’s Champions League finalists.
As we enter 2025 next week, the Parkhead faithful will hope for a similarly successful 12 months.
