Cameron Carter-Vickers has offered his take on Brendan Rodgers’ criticism following Celtic’s disappointing defeat to St Johnstone last weekend, acknowledging that the manager had a point but also stressing the unpredictable nature of football.
Rodgers didn’t mince his words after the 1-0 loss at McDiarmid Park, pointing to a mentality issue among his players. The Celtic boss suggested that some in his squad had become “comfortable” and were no longer displaying the drive needed to push through to the title, claiming certain players had gone into the match expecting an “easy game” against the Premiership’s bottom side.
The defeat, Celtic’s first to St Johnstone in nine years, left Rodgers visibly frustrated and led to questions about whether the intensity and hunger that have defined his most successful Celtic teams were still present.
Speaking, via Celtic TV, ahead of this weekend’s clash with Kilmarnock, Carter-Vickers was asked if the players had perhaps become too comfortable. He said: “I see it as a bit of both, to be honest. I completely understand where the manager is coming from. For the majority of the season, we haven’t been losing games, so now, when you start, of course questions are going to be asked.
“You look at that game and the chances we had, and I think most people would agree that nine times out of 10, you score two, three, four goals in that game and you win. And then obviously those questions don’t get asked.”
It was a measured response from Carter-Vickers. It was one that backed his manager’s message while offering some perspective on a frustrating afternoon. With the league still firmly in Celtic’s hands, the focus now turns to a response against Kilmarnock, where Rodgers will be expecting the mentality to match the occasion.
