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Brendan Rodgers; "I was born into Celtic"
Topic Started: 20 May 2016, 05:06 PM (2,288,012 Views)
Zurawski 7
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NOBODY at Celtic, least of all their manager Brendan Rodgers, needs to be reminded just how perilous the opening Champions League qualifying round can be. And as if to underline the point, the woes of city rivals Rangers during the week served a timely reminder that nothing in football can be taken for granted.

But a year on from one of the most humiliating results in Celtic’s long and proud history, when the part-timers of Lincoln Red Imps humbled their mighty visitors in the shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar, the difference in the Celtic manager’s levels of belief and confidence in his squad could hardly be starker.

Rodgers is a class act, so he would never deride a professional who worked under him at Celtic at that time. But it is clear that in his mind, there were players at Celtic at that time who had no future at the club, who he had to cobble together into some sort of cohesive unit to rescue the situation and somehow stumble their way through.

They managed to do just that, and more, as they eventually fought their way through to the promised land of the Champions League group stages, but there is no question that Rodgers has a great deal more confidence in the men under his charge at this point than he did 12 months ago.

Some players have left, some have come in, and some have fought to turn their Celtic careers around through application and buying into their manager’s methods. And as Rodgers himself concedes, there is one massive difference between the Celtic team of the present, and the one he inherited; “I enjoy watching the team now!” he said. “They were good guys last year, good boys, but we were a long way from where I would consider them be a team.

“Now, firstly, fundamentally they can defend, and they want to defend. They defend forwards, and they are aggressive. They no longer defend with their eyes, they defend with physicality.

“They press, they get up to people, and then they play football, and they are good to watch and the numbers prove that. They win games.

“It’s still very early on in the season, they are still getting fitter and stronger, but yeah, there’s a day and night difference and we’re in a good place.”

Rodgers’ faith in his men is such that he is in two minds over whether or not to add another defender to his squad, even with the news that Dedryck Boyata could be missing for up to three months with a medial ligament injury.

He may well decide to do so, but he isn’t fazed by the thought of going through these crucial qualifiers with only the men who served him so well last season.

“I think it was always going to be the way that I was confident that if we didn’t make a signing, that we could get through with the players that we have all being fit and well,” he said. “They now have rhythm, they now know how we work, there’s a stability and a confidence in how they play and I’ve seen it already this year in pre-season.

“There’s a development in one or two just by confidence in the way they perform. That will still have been the core of the team that is going to get us through. If you bring new guys in then it’s going to take a bit of time to adapt and adjust.

“And we will probably bring quality in at some point, but yeah, the guys have shown us over the course of the season that if we have to go in with what we have, we’re in a good condition to do that.”

The physical difference in Celtic’s players from this time last year is obvious to the eye, but Rodgers believes the development of their mental resilience has been just as marked, and no less important.

That’s why he is more than confident that the men who take to Windsor Park in green and white on Friday will not only show their opponent the respect they are due, but will stay composed amid the frenzied atmosphere that is sure to face them.

“I've watched three of Linfield's games and we won't take them lightly,” he said. “We respect them because they won three trophies as well last season.

“David [Healy] has had a great impact. I watched both legs of their last tie and Northern Irish teams will always be tough. They'll fight, they'll run and they'll work.

“A big part of my job last year was to go and prepare the team mentally for how to deal with big occasions and big games, and how to keep that calmness and that focus.

“You want to go and play in a passionate stadium, and it gives you the chance as a team and as a group to bond even tighter together, and have that oneness that you need.

“Then when a question is put to you in the game, which there usually is, it’s not about how each individual plays, it’s about how the team play.

“Do they have that resilience and that mentality? That’s something that we’ve built over the last period of time.

“For us, the aim of the Linfield game home and away is to get through. We won’t be perfect, but we go to fight to get into the next round.”
http://www.heraldscotland.com/Brendan_now_enjoys_watching_Celtic
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subtle_anxiety
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Auck he just oozes football. Can't wait for the first home game.
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Zurawski 7
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CHRIS Davies insists Celtic are relishing the start of competitive competition this season in Friday’s UEFA Champions League second qualifying round first-leg against Linfield.

The Bhoys will face the Blues in Belfast on the back of four pre-season friendlies and several weeks of rigorous training sessions, and the Hoops assistant manager is confident that the Invincibles are ready to face David Healy’s side in the crucial European tie.

“We're feeling good and looking forward to it,” he said. “We've had a few weeks now to prepare for it and get us ready. Everyone is looking forward to the game and we want the competitive games to start as that is what we enjoy the most.

“It will be a difficult game. We have analysed them and we know where their strengths and weaknesses are. We have done our work as normal.

"Any away game in qualifying is difficult so that is what we are expecting, but we're confident we can do the job, and the most important thing is we come back to Celtic Park in a positive position as the game is obviously over two legs.”

Scott Brown is fit to face the Windsor Park side, despite coming off in the first-half of the thumping 9-0 win over Shamrock Rovers in Dublin last weekend, which Davies admitted was a huge boost to the Scottish champions.

“The squad is looking good," he said. "We have no new injuries that stand out. Everyone is travelling. Scott Brown is travelling. He’s our leader on the field. He’s an experienced player and a player who is used to delivering in big, important games. He’s vitally important to us, so we're delighted he’s fit and raring to go.”

New Bhoy Olivier Ntcham has not travelled with the squad following his arrival from Manchester City on Wednesday, but supporters should be able to get their first look at the France Under-21 internationalist in Saturday’s friendly with Ligue 1 side Lyon.

“Olivier will stay behind and hopefully get some game-time against Lyon at the weekend,” said Davies. “He has been training a few days and he will be involved in the game at the weekend. We will see how he goes. He has to be at a good level before he comes into competitive games but he shouldn’t be too long.”

And Davies revealed that the highly-rated midfielder had settled in well to his new surroundings, helped by his existing friendship with compatriot Moussa Dembele.

“He knows Moussa so that personal connection is there already,” added the Englishman. “He’s someone who has been at Manchester City for a few years so he understands the culture and it’s not new to him.

"He’s a really nice, genuine guy and he as a lot of qualities as a player and a lot of qualities he can bring to our team. We are delighted to have him.”
http://www.celticfc.net/news/12909
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IainG
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Ah but I was so much older then,I'm younger than that now
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Looking good lads.

:clap:

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Cumbernauldbhoy
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Has he been quoted saying that the aim for this season is European football after the New Year? Saw it on Facebook but could be nonsense. Quite surprised he'd be so explicit about that.
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Ess
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Cumbernauldbhoy
13 Jul 2017, 10:24 PM
Has he been quoted saying that the aim for this season is European football after the New Year? Saw it on Facebook but could be nonsense. Quite surprised he'd be so explicit about that.
Thats pretty much what it should be, we have a squad that should be capable of qualifying, third place would be a huge boost and a realistic aim (barring huge bad luck in the draw)
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The Edge
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Brendan's press conference - https://vimeo.com/225487224

Craig Gordon - https://streamable.com/mgovr

Getting to know Jonny Hayes - https://streamable.com/74unu

Brainy bhoys - https://streamable.com/28sbg
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powerbhoy
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The Edge
14 Jul 2017, 12:07 AM
Brendan's press conference - https://vimeo.com/225487224

Craig Gordon - https://streamable.com/mgovr

Getting to know Jonny Hayes - https://streamable.com/74unu

Brainy bhoys - https://streamable.com/28sbg
Cheers :thumbsup:
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sevilliano
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Brendan diplomatic skills :thumbsup:

Armstrongs agent clearly identified though as messing
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Luca
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The Edge
14 Jul 2017, 12:07 AM
Brendan's press conference - https://vimeo.com/225487224

Craig Gordon - https://streamable.com/mgovr

Getting to know Jonny Hayes - https://streamable.com/74unu

Brainy bhoys - https://streamable.com/28sbg
Best thing about Celtic?

The fans, Jonny, the effing fans. eff sake. Hope he's dropped tonight. :nono:
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Kingslim
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I wish he would stop giving his interviews to Talksport. Those carrots do nothing but continually slag us off
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fraz1888
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Kingslim
14 Jul 2017, 03:00 PM
I wish he would stop giving his interviews to Talksport. Those carrots do nothing but continually slag us off
Banging on about us being the same standard as a top 6 championship side this morning and that it wasn't a compliment to say they thought we would go this season unbeaten and would actually be a shock if we didn't. pumpkins
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The Edge
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Todays press conference: https://vimeo.com/226030339

McGregor: https://streamable.com/khayc

Kundai Benyu after Lyon game: https://streamable.com/c8ot3

Getting to know Kundai Benyu: https://streamable.com/1ekhn

Getting to know Olivier Ntcham: https://streamable.com/xlhmz
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jamiebhoy76
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The Edge
18 Jul 2017, 06:16 PM
Todays press conference: https://vimeo.com/226030339

McGregor: https://streamable.com/khayc

Kundai Benyu after Lyon game: https://streamable.com/c8ot3

Getting to know Kundai Benyu: https://streamable.com/1ekhn

Getting to know Olivier Ntcham: https://streamable.com/xlhmz
Cheers :thumbsup:
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VerdeYBlanco
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The Edge
18 Jul 2017, 06:16 PM

Getting to know Olivier Ntcham: https://streamable.com/xlhmz
Boxer?

'Olivier, Miller just called you a carrot!'
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Otis
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For all his complimentary words about Northern Ireland, Windsor Park, etc. - I've a feeling that BR will be glad to get the tie over and done with, with the Schit-field and not return to the province again in a professional capacity if this is the minefield we as a club and supporters have to navigate to play a simple sporting fixture with these dinosaurs.
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SaMule
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Otis
19 Jul 2017, 08:20 AM
For all his complimentary words about Northern Ireland, Windsor Park, etc. - I've a feeling that BR will be glad to get the tie over and done with, with the Schit-field and not return to the province again in a professional capacity if this is the minefield we as a club and supporters have to navigate to play a simple sporting fixture with these dinosaurs.
I think you're probably right there.

I was just thinking this morning there, imagine what it would have been like if we'd played there 15 years ago with MON as manager and Neil Lennon in the side?
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georgiesleftpeg
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Rodgers content with the foundations in place for European challenge
Scott Mullen
Group Sports Writer


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Edited by georgiesleftpeg, 23 Jul 2017, 08:50 AM.
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wigwam
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His words give me confidence, never mind the players. :wub:

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Fly Pelican
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I see Brendan too has been hit by the last page glitch.

Mortal after all, and quite frankly somewhat disappointing.
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