Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has expressed his overall satisfaction with the team’s performance in the testimonial match honouring James Forrest, despite acknowledging a slow start against Athletic Club.
Rodgers made his observations in a post-match interview with Celtic TV following the thrilling 3-2 victory that wrapped up their pre-season campaign.
As expected, the Celtic boss fielded two sides for the encounter, ensuring most of the players were involved. The second-half side was undoubtedly the better, despite featuring more fringe players. It’s certainly given the manager some food for thought as he watches over training this week, ahead of Ross County’s visit.
“It wasn’t a great start. We are obviously really happy for James [Forrest] and the overall performance of the team for him,” said Rodgers.
He lamented the first half, saying, “I thought we were not very good, if I am honest. We didn’t start well; we were very passive and gave the ball away. We had some guys playing their first minutes of pre-season, so it was a little bit broken.”
The manager, however, was more upbeat about the team’s second-half display. “Our positioning was excellent in the second half; we kept the ball well. We showed good energy, and I thought our attitude was really good. We scored two excellent goals in the second half and overall I am pleased.”
Rodgers praised the quality of the opposition and expressed his gratitude to the supporters who turned out to honour Forrest. “It was a really good game to finish with against a good side, and a lovely turnout for James in terms of the supporters.”
Reflecting on the pre-season as a whole, Rodgers remained confident that his squad would continue to improve. “We will be better, and we can be better, but it was a good end to our pre-season,” he concluded.
As Celtic shift their focus towards the forthcoming season, this victory and Rodgers’ reflections will certainly have many thinking ahead of the season. Some players have definitely impressed during pre-season, but how will they feature in Rodgers’ matchday squads going forward?
