Brendan Rodgers has firmly defended his attacking tactics as Celtic gear up to face last season’s Europa League winners, Atalanta, in the Champions League.
Despite a heavy defeat to Borussia Dortmund in their last European outing, the Celtic boss dismissed any suggestion of adopting a more conservative approach in Italy, remaining steadfast in his belief in offensive football.
Speaking to the media ahead of the match, Rodgers emphasised that his coaching philosophy has always centred around aggression and proactivity, a style he’s not willing to change.
While acknowledging the challenges posed by elite opposition in the Champions League, he underscored the importance of maintaining an attacking mindset, even in the face of criticism.
He said: [Celtic TV]
“I started coaching many, many years ago. It’s over 25 years ago now, and from the very beginning, my coaching has always been aggressive.
“Until the day I finish, it will be aggressive. That’s how I work.
“But I’m also respectful that you play against teams at a certain level and certain opponents, where you have to really look at their strengths.
“But I don’t tell them not to do that in every game, because I do, no matter what team I’m playing, whether it’s in Scotland or in the Champions League.
“It’s the level at which you can get punished. So I think it’s one where you have to have the balance in your game.
“You have to be really strong defensively.
“There are going to be moments when you can press the game high. There are going to be moments when you’re lower on the pitch.
“I think the key learning for us has to be that when you are in those moments, you cannot go on your own.
“We’ve got a very, very inexperienced squad of players playing at this level.
“So sometimes you can make little decisions to jump out of your slot and defend and win when really you should stay, because at this level you’ll get picked off. That’s the key for us.
“But we always have to carry that threat.
“I think if you look at this club here in Atalanta, it’s a great example.
“Obviously, they have totally different resources. They are way above us in terms of that.
“But if you look at the actual principle of it, they came through and arrived at this level.
“I’m sure the manager will tell you that they had some really harsh learning experiences in terms of the games that they played, especially against the top Premier League teams.
“It was a real, real challenge and the scorelines were difficult for them.
“But then they come away and they learn from that, I’m pretty sure, and they stick with the philosophy, but still look at certain areas where they can be better and improve.
“And of course then you become better with that.
“So if you’re talking about a pragmatic coach, it’s a different coach, I’m a different person.
“That’s not to say that we go into the game and just be all-out at attack, all-out front foot. That’s not how it is.
“But if a coach’s DNA is to sit back and be that, then that’s not me. And it won’t be, it’s as simple as that.
“My idea is to have an attacking philosophy, which is about defending and defending well.
“Defending when you haven’t got the ball, being really aggressive and really strong in closing spaces and then when you have the ball, look to create opportunities. But that’s not to say I don’t respect the different levels in the game, because I absolutely do.
“I’ll always be mindful of having a balance in both attack and defence, though.”
From the immediate aftermath of the Dortmund embarrassment right through to the night before the Atalanta match, he’s been clear that he has no plans to change his style, and you could say he’s right. He played five at the back in Europe when he was last here, and that didn’t exactly go to plan, still picking up heavy scorelines.
Some of Celtic’s best performances in recent years in Europe have come while going toe-to-toe with Europe’s best.
Hopefully, the boss does tighten things up at the back tactically, and Celtic can get a result in Italy five years after the Lazio win.
