Following a less than satisfying result against Hibernian, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers provided his insights on the team’s performance in an interview with BBC Sportsound.
Rodgers began by acknowledging the importance of a quick start in Celtic’s game plan, stating, “I thought by the time we started to play with the speed and tempo we like, it was too late. Our plan is always to make a quick start.”
The manager’s observations suggested that the team might not have executed their intended game plan as efficiently as they would have liked. Rodgers emphasised that while Celtic showed proficiency with the ball, they suffered from unnecessary turnovers and an over-reliance on long passes when shorter, quicker options were available.
“We were good with the ball but we gave it away needlessly,” Rodgers remarked. “We were playing long passes when we didn’t have to. We just didn’t play with enough speed.”
In essence, Rodgers highlighted the importance of maintaining a high tempo and fluid ball movement, factors that are often associated with Celtic’s style of play. There was a lot of passing backwards today, but the manager doesn’t seem to be too angered by this.
Rodgers pointed out that the team did manage to pick up the pace in the last 20-25 minutes of the game, resulting in a different dynamic on the field. However, by that time, Celtic were unable to find the breakthrough they needed.
Reflecting on Celtic’s overall performance in recent matches, Rodgers offered a broader perspective. “We’ve played 10 games now. We’ve had eight wins and two draws and done well in the main.”
Despite the disappointment in the Hibs match, Rodgers underscored the commitment and effort demonstrated by the team, a testament to their overall performance so far in the season.
The manager concluded by looking ahead to the next challenge, stating, “The effort and commitment was there, now we need to recover and get ready for Wednesday (at home to St Mirren).” With Celtic’s track record in mind, fans can expect the team to regroup, learn from their recent experiences, and approach the upcoming fixture with renewed determination.
