DESPITE AN ABJECT START WHEN TOMI HORVAT OPENED THE SCORING WITH A STUNNING HIT, SECOND-HALF GOALS FROM LIAM SCALES AND BENJAMIN NYGREN SECURED A FIRST EUROPA LEAGUE WIN OF THE SEASON FOR BRENDAN RODGERS’ SIDE. RODGERS HIT OUT AT THE ‘EXPERTS OUTSIDE’ AFTER THE GAME AND CALLED THE TEAM’S PERFORMANCE ‘OUTSTANDING’, DESPITE CONTROVERSY OVER HIS COMMENTS EARLIER IN THE WEEK.
HE HAD COMPARED HIS CELTIC SQUAD TO A ‘HONDA CIVIC’ AFTER DEFEAT TO DUNDEE — A COMMENT THAT PROVED UNPOPULAR — BUT HE DID NOT FEEL THE NEED TO APOLOGISE FOR IT.
AHEAD OF A HUGE TOP-OF-THE-TABLE CLASH AGAINST HEARTS THIS WEEKEND, ONE OF HIS SENIOR PLAYERS REVEALED HIS PRE-MATCH MESSAGE BEFORE THE STURM GRAZ WIN.
JAMES FORREST, SPEAKING TO SKY SPORTS, LIFTED THE LID ON RODGERS’ WORDS OF MOTIVATION TO THE SQUAD.
RODGERS, WHO SAYS HE SPENDS ‘EVERY HOUR’ THINKING ABOUT HIS PLAYERS, TOLD THEM: “THAT’S PART OF PLAYING FOR A BIG CLUB. IT’S NEVER ALWAYS GOING TO GO SMOOTHLY. THE MANAGER SAID BEFORE THE GAME LAST NIGHT THAT IN DIFFICULT PERIODS, THAT’S YOUR CHANCE TO SHOW AS A PLAYER THAT YOU’VE GOT THE CHARACTER AND THE STRENGTH TO COME BACK IN DIFFICULT MOMENTS.”
FORREST ADDED: “I THINK IT WAS A GREAT START LAST NIGHT. WE WERE 1-0 DOWN AND THE BOYS DID SHOW THAT. SO JUST TO TAKE THAT INTO SUNDAY. SOMETIMES THAT’S FOOTBALL — TEAMS DEFEND WELL AND PLAY WELL AGAINST US. WE JUST NEED TO FIND A WAY TO GET IN FRONT.”
WITH HEARTS FIVE POINTS CLEAR AT THE TOP, THIS WEEKEND’S MATCH FEELS DEFINING FOR RODGERS AND CELTIC — ESPECIALLY WITH AN INJURY CRISIS EMERGING. DEFEAT WOULD ONLY INTENSIFY THE PRESSURE ON THE MANAGER WHO CONTINUES TO FIGHT TO REIGNITE CELTIC’S SEASON.
