CELTIC MANAGER BRENDAN Rodgers has responded to criticism from Roy Keane for their celebrations after qualifying for the Champions League proper.
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Celtic’s opening Champions League Group C clash with Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night in front of 73,290 fans ended very differently, however, with the Glasgow club departing Catalonia on the wrong end of a 7-0 defeat, the biggest European loss in the club’s history.
While he agrees with Keane’s point that this aspect of the team has to change, he believes it won’t be a quick fix for Brendan Rodgers.
The former Dundee United midfielder is looking to take out any frustrations against Inverness where Celtic will look to make it five wins out of five.
“The players reflected on the two games, what we can take from them and how we can keep pushing forward as we have been and just ensure you are better the next time you play in these types of games”.
FC Rostov of Russian Federation and Polish champions Legia Warsaw were also on the end of heavy defeats, but Rodgers is insistent a closed shop is bad for the game.
“But throughout the last number of years they’ve been involved in Europe they’ve struggled and lesser teams than Celtic have done well in Europe”. So that idea they were exhausted as well. “It’s easier said than done of course and this time round it’s obviously hard with the group they are in”.
“It’s about recruitment and trying to get the players in, and also to find out if they are available and affordable”. They can go to the San Siro and win 2-0 so they are no mugs. “I think the whole mindset has to change and don’t accept, particularly away from home, being the whipping boys of Europe”.
“Actually the team we beat in the final qualification round, Hapoel Beer Sheva, was a good side”.
“It’s Celtic, a huge club, and they need to do a lot better”, said Keane, the Republic of Ireland assistant manager. “I thought they actually won the competition, people were hugging each other”.
“To have hardly any preparation time to come and play against the world’s best at keeping the ball and tiring you out, and beating you up with the football at times, it was a tough ask for them and that last 15/20 minutes did feel long”. But certainly what the experience will do is let the players know they have to disrupt their flow and we didn’t. I always think that in victory you show humility and in defeat you be honest.
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“You can turn things around really quickly and make sure you win the game so no one can hold it against you”.
