Brendan Rodgers has praised Callum McGregor as ‘outstanding’ in Celtic’s loss against Hearts.
This comment, made after a game where Celtic struggled significantly against Steven Naismith’s side, seems to contrast sharply with the actual performance metrics and the general perception of the match.
The captain was the driving force in the team, and looked like one of the few who actually were trying against Hearts. He drove forward with the ball, trying to create some opening for the team.
He was also vocal on the pitch, particularly towards Mikey Johnston in the first half, who, unsurprisingly didn’t re-emerge for the second half.
Brendan Rodgers was clearly happy with what he saw from his captain on BBC Sportsound, who is one of the very few in the Celtic team who got pass marks, along with Liam Scales and maybe Matt O’Riley.
The Celtic boss said, “Callum was outstanding in the game trying to drive his team on, as a captain should. He was brilliant.
“But he was having to play a couple of positions to inspire the team.
“But overall, a disappointing result and I have to take responsibility for that.”
The Hoops need to bounce back from these back-to-back defeats. They’ll get the chance to against Livingston next week.
