Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has heavily praised his Celtic squad. It comes after the Hoops turned things around in recent weeks following back-to-back defeats to Kilmarnock and Hearts in December.

From games against Livingston, Dundee, Rangers, and St. Mirren, the champions have picked up maximum points. Such a fact pleases Rodgers, who greatly enjoys working with his team. He said (Daily Mail): “I love working with this group because they are such an honest group of players. There is not an idiot amongst them.”

It is a known fact that the Irishman is much more of a ‘hands-on’ boss who regularly interacts with his players. This is evident in his praise for them.

After the first half of the season came to an end, Rodgers also gave his players some leeway for their previous poor performances. The boss realises that at the time, they were playing a lot of football: “They know that they weren’t quite at the level, especially against Hearts”, he said (Daily Mail). “But I looked at that and it was a bit more fatigue on the back end of a Champions League game and because a lot of players were having to play continuously.”

Although the schedule was tireless for the players over the festive period, they came through and currently sit on top of the tree during the winter break. The Bhoys needed to garner a run of form after back-to-back league defeats for the first time since 2013, and they did just that.

Just a few weeks ago, things around the club seemed rather toxic but now, there has been a shift in the opposite direction. With the January transfer window underway and the second half of the season on the horizon, there is an inherent sense of optimism at Celtic that has been catalysed by a short yet eminent run of form.