Brendan Rodgers was in very expansive mood at his media conference to preview the Champions League Play Off first leg at home to Kairat Almaty.
With all respect the matches against St Mirren, Aberdeen and Falkirk were sideshows to the nitty gritty of transfer activity, or more accurately the lack of business at Celtic,
Naturally the Jamie Vardy question was raised, after side stepping it Rodgers seemed to give a nod of approval to the prospect of a Leicester reunion. Judging by the way Michael Nicholson has been acting over the last few years any interest that Celtic had in the former England striker can now be written off.
Unlike his interview on Friday with Alasdair Lamont there was a warmth to most of the questions put to the Celtic manager who replied earnestly, almost as if he welcomed the escape from transfer related questions which tie in with his own contractual position.
Rodgers was in front of the cameras for almost 24 minutes with definite answers given on the immediate futures of Dane Murray and Hayato Inamura.
Murray will be remaining at Celtic as deputy to Cameron Carter-Vickers, which puts a further obstacle towards playing time for Jahmai Simpson-Pusey.
Inamura will be going out on loan with Rodgers judging that his game is currently lacking in defensive ability which is quite an issue for a central defender.
There was one outstanding question towards the end of the conference when Rodgers was asked for his thoughts on Michael Nicholson’s claim to be world class in every area.
Diplomatically Rodgers side-stepped that one, it is a question that everyone knows isn’t going to disappear any time soon.
UEFA preview of Celtic v Kairat.
QUESTION: What’s the overriding feeling going into this one?
Rodgers: We’re very relaxed. We’re focused on the game. We’ve started the season well with a really good performance in the last game. We’re fully prepared to go into this type of game. There’s a number of us that have experienced it before, so we know the importance of the home. We’re looking forward to it.
QUESTION: What looked like in practice, talking about trying to get a healthy lead, how do you strike that balance between going after the game, maybe not getting too anxious and not getting too nervous if it’s not coming so easily?
Rodgers: I think it’s how we play anyway. I think we set off in every game to go and attack the game and play our football anyway. So and this will be no different. Two of the three experiences I’ve had in qualification has been based around a really, really good first leg.
So and in both of those, we’d scored five goals. So for us it’s really that attacking intent in the game and being really, really difficult to play against. And then hopefully we can then take an advantage then into the second leg.
QUESTION: How helpful are those experiences, because some of the squad have had the luxury of automatic qualification in recent seasons, but for you, for Callum, Kieran Tierney, a couple of others, they’ve had these high pressure moments before?
Rodgers: Yeah, I think it’s very beneficial when you’ve gone through it and just for mindset, also for preparation as well. Traveling over there next week, having been there before, understanding how we our timings, how we set all of that up and travel arrangements, everything. Yeah, definitely it helps.”
QUESTION: What kind of challenge do you expect from Kairat tomorrow night?
Rodgers: I think like a lot of teams at this level in qualification and in the Champions League, they’re teams that’s used to winning. You also look at them that they’re what, 20 games into their season. So they’re well into their season, so they’re going to be at a good level of fitness.
They’re a team that that like to build the game from behind, mostly short, and then as they progress through the pitch, fullbacks go high, wingers come on the inside. So really what you’d expect from a modern team at a really good level. They’re technically strong and yeah, play some really good football.”
QUESTION: Does it feel your team has just been building quite nicely in the opening weeks of this season now coming into such a crucial period with such big games?
Rodgers: Obviously we haven’t experienced this over the last couple of seasons, but this is what this period’s about. You want to arrive into these games. This is a massive game. There’s always that feeling when I was here first, the big games seem to be right at the very beginning and this is exactly what this is because this tees you up for the rest of your season.
But I think that amongst a lot of noise and everything else that’s going on about Celtic, what we’ve tried to do as a football team and as a squad is really focus on what we can control, which is getting the players as fit as they possibly can, playing the game technically at a really high level and what you can start to see is is the intensity level going up. But that also depends on the opposition that you play. If the teams camp right in in the in the final 25 meters of the pitch, it’s sometimes really difficult to play a really, really intense game because it’s only in a in a such a short distance.
Once the game opens up a wee bit, then of course you find your spaces and the intensity then can increase. So we’ve had three different types of games so far this season, navigated them very, very well. And our last performance, we really played really well. So it’s a good platform going into this game.”
QUESTION: There’d been a report, I think, from down south yesterday saying that Jamie Vardy would be keen on a move to Celtic. He was maybe waiting out for a move to Celtic this summer. Is he someone that you’d like to work with again?
Rodgers: Listen, I won’t speak about any individual player. Of course, I worked really well with Jamie. He was brilliant for me in my time at Leicester. There’s been so many names floated about, but I wouldn’t disclose either way.
QUESTION: Are you’re hoping to strengthen the squad before tomorrow’s game? Is that now possible? Or are you going to have to go with the guys that you’ve got in the building just now?
Rodgers: Well, that’s what I’m feeling at this moment in time. Yeah, so the players that we have will be the players that I trust that can do the job and if we can get some players in before then, then that would be amazing. But the focus has been very much on what is here at this moment.
QUESTION: And the guys that you’ve got here, the experience, the European experience you’ve had, that must count for quite a lot in terms of these matches, but also the levels that you’ve reached with this kind of core group?
Rodgers: I think that we gave a hint last season of what we can do when we improved the squad last year and went into the Champions League in a really good way.
As I said, we felt and showed what we can do at the level and for me the job is to keep trying to develop and at minimum sustain that. And for that you need that constant improvement of your squad.
But currently where this group’s at, with what we have, the players are doing very, very well. Really focusing in. The training’s been so good, been really intense and that’s allowed us to keep improving.
We don’t want to overthink this game. We know the magnitude of it, we know the consequence of it. However, it’ll only look good for us if we play to the level that we want to play and that’s what we’re focused on.”
QUESTION: And if it goes the way that you’re hoping and you do qualify, do you think then you’ll get the strengthening that you’re looking for? In other words, maybe it looks like they’re waiting to see what the budget is if it’s Champions League budget or as you hope for or not.
Rodgers: I don’t know. I don’t know. We just we just play the game and we’ll see where we’re at the end of the end of the window.
QUESTION: Brendan, you mentioned there about kind of the players blocking out the noise. Is that kind of one of the messages to the guys in the dressing room that there’s so much kind of chat at the minute about players coming in and out and about potentially what the club could make from getting to the Champions League, but I imagine from the players’ point of view they can block that out completely.
Rodgers: Yeah, I mentioned this a few weeks ago to the players. I think it’s important to just set the narrative for them because like you say, there’s so much noise, especially as it ramps up towards the end.
I’ve been in enough changing rooms to know how stability can be lost in this moment because some players will be thinking are they staying or are they going. But in the midst of that you’re you’ve got really important games.
I’ve already mentioned this to players a number of weeks back just about respecting and acknowledging that it is a difficult part of the season. However, the money will be in your bank every month.
And it will be from Celtic and while it is, you need to perform. So you don’t need to worry about anything else. I respect and acknowledge that it can be tough, especially are you going to be here or you’re not.
If Celtic pay your wages and while they do, you focus on doing the very best you can for Celtic. And then we start that process every day in training. Being the very best that we can, pushing each other, demanding and then we’ll take that into the games.
In fairness to the players have been brilliant with that. Been, you see it in their attitude in the game, the energy in the games been very, very good. So now we have to keep this going and then like I said, come the end of the window, that’ll be the squad for the rest of the season.
QUESTION: And again, I know there’s obviously so much chat about signings but do you feel the group that you have just now is Champions League ready, regardless of what happens in the next couple of weeks?
Rodgers: Champions League ready as in for these two games?”
QUESTION: For the league phase.
Rodgers: Well I think firstly we want to qualify, of course, and if it’s with this group of players I’m confident that we can do that. Going forward, listen, clearly we would have to improve the squad.
QUESTION: Is there a level of frustration, Brendan, that you’re at this point and the work in the squad hasn’t been done that you want?
Rodgers: No, listen, I’m experienced, I’ve been here long enough and I understand where we’re at. So I’m not going to get too frustrated on it because I can’t really control a lot of it.
What I can control is the players that we have, helping them, being the very best that they can be and making sure that they’re prepared and making sure that they’re ready and like we were against Falkirk the other night, hungry for the game.
We played some brilliant football the other night and played at the intensity that I want and those players there now have given me absolutely everything.
I’m not going to get into a situation where I look frustrated or am frustrated because that transfers on to the players I have. And those guys, these boys have been brilliant. So we’re hoping that if we get somebody in, it’d be great. If not, then we’ll go with what we’ve got.
We’ll do everything we can, try and ensure all the details are right for the game and let’s see if we can take Celtic back into the Champions League again, which is ultimately what we want to do.”
QUESTION: Can I take you back a few years to your first spell on these playoff games? You’ve obviously 800 games as a manager. You think of two more stressful occasions than Be’er Sheva and Astana?
Rodgers: Not many. I think the Be’er Sheva one was the best 2-0 loss I ever had in my life. It was, but it was funny, because we were so good in the game here and then we considered a couple of late goals, 5-2, and then all of a sudden we’re 2-0 down and the guy at the end of the game had a brilliant shot from outside the box that looked like it was rocketing right in the top corner for 3-0.
But we got through and that was important. So that set us off on a real good journey that season.
After that, Astana. And it just shows you that okay, the end result, the end aggregate score in that was 8-4, but we there was a little period in the second half where we had to calm everything down because it was 6-1 at halftime on aggregate in that second leg.
Then we had three a spell in the second half, we considered three quick goals to put it to 6-4 and then we were able to I just say it finished 8-4, I believe, and then it doesn’t look like there was any anything to worry about. But you always have moments and but for us I think we’re prepared for that and but firstly we want to prepare for this game and be the best that we can.”
QUESTION: But back in those ties, I think you had going into those matches, you had players missing, I think you had teenagers playing at center half and guys getting chucked in. It seemed like a stressful time. For all the rhetoric around this kind of tie and signings and all that stuff, is it a bit more calm and a bit more confident and relaxed going into this one?
Rodgers: Yeah, absolutely. I think if you look at it and the guys, and sometimes it’s about what you don’t have, but what I know I have is I’ve got a group of guys that are understanding the structure of the team really, really well, how we want to play, how we want to work, they’re gaining fitness all the time and are really motivated to get there.
So I would say that stability wise, this is probably the most stable that we’ve been, certainly compared to those couple of games. I remember having to bring Kolo Toure in late on in the Be’er Sheva game and so this here is a lot more a lot more stable.
QUESTION: Obviously you want to add if you get to the League Phase, but are you confident you’ve got enough just now to get through this tie?
Rodgers: Yes. Yeah, we have no injuries and I believe that the quality of our game and the intensity that we want to work at can hopefully be enough to see us through. But like I said, these games will always be tough games.
QUESTION: Brendan, just talking about some of the previous experiences you had in qualification, if you remember back in Athens when you met there, the mood music around the club was maybe a bit similar to what it is just now. How much does that experience help you as a manager, manage that with the players now? Are you a lot calmer about things now? Do you have a lot better perspective on it, I guess, because you’ve been through that before?
Rodgers: Yeah. I think as I said, a little bit more philosophical on it and it’s so important that. Because that emotional transfer can get through with players. Like you say, there’s even more noise now around the game, not just Celtic but around the game.
Experience helps you massively, of course, and you need it and it’s understanding. I’ve been making this for for quite a while now. It’s very much you can control what you can and then this squad of players that you have. Of course we need to push, we need to always, I said it before the other week, I want Celtic to live in the best possible place it can be on and off the pitch.
And that’s not only players, that’s about infrastructure, that is academy, that is everything to do with Celtic, getting that the very best operation that we possibly can. And I know for that, that will always be about success on the pitch. And you get success on the pitch, everything else flows from that.
So but those experiences allow me to yeah, to be, they might’ve said I’m whatever it is, 800 games or something, so you would like to think you can be a little bit more philosophical with things.
QUESTION: Do you think that Scottish and the Kazakh football are similar maybe? National team, maybe clubs, Celtic, Kairat, Astana, Shakhter Karagandy, is all the football teams in the Kazakhstan player similar football in the with the Scotland football teams?
Rodgers: Honestly, I don’t know enough about football in Kazakhstan. Obviously I know Astana, I know the team we play tomorrow night because that’s what we’ve been preparing. So I don’t know enough about the teams. I certainly know Celtic. Celtic is one of the biggest football clubs in the world. And maybe I don’t know, maybe in Kazakhstan you have a team like that, but certainly I know here, this is an iconic club, and like I said, one of the biggest football clubs in the world.
So but whoever Celtic play, we will always respect. It doesn’t matter where they come from, whether it’s Kazakhstan or anywhere else, we respect the opponents that we play and we respect that both teams will be fighting for a place in the Champions League.
QUESTION: Paulo Bernardo didn’t feature in the opening two league games and you gave him 15 minutes on Friday. Where do you see him fitting into the Celtic side and the competitive midfield area?
Rodgers: Well it’s exactly that. It’s a very competitive squad in our back line and in the midfield area. He’s one of a number of good players that we have in there and sometimes how it works in football, the ones that aren’t playing, you get asked, and then it switches about.
I think what we see in this early stage, and especially when there’s been one game a week, that the team sort of stays pretty similar. I obviously changed it against Falkirk knowing that we’ve got this game, knowing we’ve got a game Saturday and then a game on the Tuesday, so it’s quite tight, so I needed to make sure some of those players that might play those games are up to speed.
But I think once you get then into Europe, you need every player. And Paulo’s a very talented player, and he’s one of a number of talented players in midfield.
QUESTION: And there was no room for Hayato Inamura in your Champions League squad. Can you just elaborate on that decision?
Rodgers: Yeah, very easy. He’s not quite at the level as of yet that I would expect. The plan for Inamura was to come in and train and see where he was at with the possibility of going out on loan because he’s only had a year’s football.
He came in as a center half, stroke left back, but his defensive qualities aren’t at the level that would see me put him in. So it’s as simple as that. So that’s why he’s not involved.
He’s played in some really good games against Cork and Queen’s Park, but the reality is that’s the level that you play, you get 80% of the ball and you’ve got the ball. But we also need a player that can defend.
NOTE: Inamura didn’t play against Queens Park.
And we’re hoping that over the couple of years with experience and with maybe a loan, that can that that can take place. But at this very, very moment, that’s why he’s not in the squad. It’s as simple as that.
QUESTION: You may be glad that the transfer window is coming to a close in the next two weeks. But if you can just take your mind back to two years ago, you sat next to Michael Nicholson, he said that he wants Celtic to be a world-class club in everything that they do. Do you think Celtic’s a world-class club in the transfer business so far this summer?
Rodgers: Listen, I don’t know about world class. I’m just, we just want to make sure that we are in the best possible place that we can be. I honestly can’t sit here and give you every answer for every question. I’ll do my very best.
What I want to do is make the team the very best that we can. And I’m hoping that by the end of the window that we can be that.
As a football manager and coach, I would want it now because I’m going into games here that mean everything for this club going forward. But if we don’t have it in the building now, then we have to work with what’s here. So, but I would want us to be, you know, operationally, strategically, I’d want us to be the very best that we possibly can be.
QUESTION: And I also ask that because in terms of outgoings, there’s been a bit of uncertainty regarding some players, but Stephen Welsh and Marco Tilio who both probably would be moved on this summer but not moved on yet even though offers have been there. What is the latest with them and what is the process?
Rodgers: Yeah, well what makes it difficult is that there’s selling a player and loaning a player. And obviously we only have a certain amount of loans. So there’s six loans internationally that the boys can go out. So then you have to look at it, then who is to go out. And sometimes clubs will offer to buy a player, and they’ll offer to loan a player.
We have to make sure that it is the right loan. And the two boys you mentioned have been great and they have had opportunities to move on and I hope for them that they get the chance to do that. But there’s a little bit more behind the scenes that needs to happen for that to take place.
QUESTION: Brendan, what advice would you give to the likes of Benjamin Nygren, Shin Yamada, and maybe a couple of others who have yet to experience Celtic Park on a high-intensity Champions League night?
Rodgers: Well, this is something that I know that the guys have been speaking to them on because they won’t have heard anything like this before. So that’s obviously part of the reason they come, they all come for Champions League and to with the chance to win trophies.
But it’s not until you experience it, till you’ve stood out there and they hear the noise. And yeah, it’s you can’t really prepare them for it. You can tell them and you can give them the anticipation of it all, but it won’t be until they’re out there and they and they feel it and then they can look forward to it and then hopefully gives them that wee extra bit of energy.
QUESTION: And Dane Murray signed his new contract last week, got his goal on Friday night. A great moment for him. How confident are you that if need be, you can now throw him into such an environment?
Rodgers: Yeah, I would have no qualms with Dane. I think what we have at the minute, we’ve got five center halves, of which I know through my experiences that you actually need that throughout a long season where players pick up injuries and whatnot.
Dane came through his first preseason since he was 18, this summer was his first complete one. He came through it really, really well. And me looking at him and seeing him coming through that, I’ve been a big admirer of him and I think he’s got all the tools to reach the very highest level.
You know, his size, his pace with the ball. And once he gets a fraction more development, then he’s going to he can be a really, really good player.
His challenge now at the minute is he’s competing with Cameron Carter-Vickers, who’s been the stalwart here. But I’ve got no doubt over the next 12 to 18 months, there was lots of clubs have asked about him on loan and that’s what I’ve had to weigh up, do I send him out, do I keep them here?
But no, he will stay here because I think he’s a player, he will contribute for us. And okay, at the beginning now, he might not be playing every single week, but I know like against the Premiership team the other night, have no qualm. Bam, in you go. If he had to play tomorrow night, I would have no qualm.
But he’s competing on that right side with Cam. And I’m hopeful that over time he can really go and show his qualities. But more importantly, I want him here and here to show what he can do for Celtic. And there’s no doubt he’ll get games.
I’m so happy for him, such a tough, I’ve seen him play here in the game when he was 17, 18 and then he’s had a couple of horrendous injuries. But he’s used that to his advantage by going away and getting, see him now, he’s 6 foot 4, his body, his shape, everything’s, he’s really robust and strong and he looks like a proper center half. I’ve been really pleased with Dane, happy for him he signed his deal and now he needs to work hard to get to sign the next one.
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