Celtic captain Callum McGregor has revealed that manager Brendan Rodgers was deeply hurt by the 3-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox.
It was just the second time over both his spells that Brendan Rodgers tasted defeat in a Glasgow Derby and it will leave an extra bad taste in his mouth because of the manner of the defeat.
Speaking after the match, McGregor emphasised the competitive spirit that drives Rodgers and the squad, suggesting that the disappointment could serve as motivation for the challenges ahead.
When asked if the manager was hurting after the match, he said: [TCW]
“No, you can tell he’s hurting, as is everyone. So that’s the sign of a competitor. It doesn’t matter how many points you’ve got, how many games you’ve won, or how well you’re doing, if you lose one game, it stings and it hurts.
“So that’s the sign of a champion and an absolute competitor. So it’s good that we feel like this, and we’ll use it as fuel to turn around.”
Rodgers has consistently instilled a winning mentality within his squad, even a single poor result can be a source of frustration for the Celtic boss, regardless of the wider context.
The defeat at Ibrox, taking Celtic’s lead to 11 points, highlighted areas for improvement and served as a rare reminder of vulnerability for a team accustomed to domestic dominance.
There will need to be tweaks going forward. The warning signs were there in the final that Clement was onto how to play against Celtic and yet Brendan Rodgers didn’t seem to make any changes in the way his side set up.
The team have to put in a big performance in the Parkhead derby.
