Sports
Brendan Rodgers provides stunning response to Celtic’s thumping by Borussia Dortmund
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers feels his team can learn from their bitter experience in Germany provided they keep to their ideals.
Rodgers’ side’s 17-game winning streak came to an end in dramatic way with a 7-1 Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund. The former Liverpool manager expressed his enthusiasm at witnessing his in-form squad face last season’s runners-up, and he will not give up hope – or his offensive philosophy – despite the unpleasant awakening.
“You have that day to grieve, which is never nice,” he said ahead of Sunday’s Premiership encounter with Ross County. “But I always think that setbacks like that are always a great opportunity to grow and bounce back, even to a higher level than what you were when you started the game.
“We had a tough one, and I’m experienced enough to know that when the stakes are high and you get high-level competition, that sometimes you have to expect defeat. If you don’t, you’re a dreamer. And if you dream in management, you won’t be in it long.
“It’s great for everyone to dream, and for critics to look and think what the scores might be, and this and that. But as a manager and a coach, when you’re in the professional game, at times against the Champions League finalists, you might expect that you might actually lose. But we’ll learn from it and be better for it.”
Rodgers pinpointed issues such as pressing as individuals and at wrong moments, showing their inexperience by being “spooked” by early goals, rushing out of position, being below standards with their passing, while pointing to the fact that two penalties, two exceptional finishes and a deflected strike added to the perfect storm.
And he is “not really bothered” over critics who claim he needs to change his approach in Europe.
“You can’t turn a tap off and on,” he said. “If you analyse the game, you’ll see that we were trying to press the game in the static position and then fall back into shape. But that wasn’t to the level that we wanted on the evening. But we play how we play.
“It’s the same plaudits that are commending our performances over the last number of months that allows us to get into this game with this incredible optimism that we can get the result out there. You can’t just turn the tap back off and become super defensive. That’s not how we play.
“So what do we do? Sit back, have 15 per cent of the ball and probably lose 3-0, 4-0? We’ve seen teams that will come to us and sit back and play 5-4-1 with no chance to attack.
“Or do you play how you play but know that the mistakes, you’ve got to sharpen your teeth in and you’ve got to be better in, you’ve got to make quicker movements to close space. And all those things are a learning process.
“I’d much rather do that and go down with my own vision than by someone who’s never coached a game in their life or played or done whatever. I respect the opinion but I don’t listen to it and never have.”
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