STRONGEST BHOYS YET
CELTIC chief Peter Lawwell insisted Scotland’s champs have never been stronger on the park and off it.
Lawwell celebrated on Wednesday as Brendan Rodgers masterminded a 3-0 Champions League win away to Anderlecht.
And while he spoke in glowing terms about the job the manager has done since taking over from Ronny Deila – even refusing to rule out a place in the last 16 of UEFA’s elite event – Lawwell also sent out the ominous warning Celtic’s financial firepower has never been greater at any time in the club’s history.
He said: “If you look at the balance sheet we’re probably in the strongest position we’ve ever been.”
And Lawwell believes he could not pick a better manager than Rodgers to help him spend it.
He said: “For me he is an outstanding manager and he’s done an outstanding job. The majority of players who started the game were with us before Brendan joined. What he’s done there in developing the players individually and as a team is quite exceptional.
“Brendan’s the full package. He’s an amazing coach. He’s got the lot for a young, modern-day European manager.”
When asked if Celtic might now muscle their way between superpowers PSG and Bayern Munich to claim second place in Group B Lawwell added: “Second place is not ridiculous. Of course not.
“It’s going to be extremely tough but we’ll take each game as it comes and every game we go into we’ll want to win.
“You never know, there are another four games for Anderlecht and ourselves.
“But we will want to do the best we can in every match. We’ll aim to win every match and let’s see where we end up.”
Meanwhile, Rodgers has called on his Bhoys to ditch their Champions League baggage of the past and become Milestone Men of the future.
The Celtic boss insists his side’s first away win in the group stage for five years is only the start of the Euro success he is determined to deliver. Celtic had gone 10 group games without a victory before their 3-0 win at Anderlecht which also represented their first clean sheet on the road in UEFA’s top competition.
The Hoops took a huge step towards still playing in Europe after Christmas – and with a head to head against Bayern Munich up next it may still be in the Champions League.
Rodgers said: “The message I gave to the players when we came here 15 months ago was lots of people will tell them what they can’t do.
“There have been a lot of milestones along the journey and each one you tick off is great. To get our first Champions League win away, to keep a clean sheet, the first in so many years, is really pleasing.
“That gives me pleasure, that gives me confidence. We set about trying to focus on breaking as many records as possible and creating our own history.
“This is an incredible club that has a great past but we have to really concentrate on the future and not worry so much about that. Over the past 12 months you can see the improvement.
“It’s a huge jump in level into the Champions League but it’s pretty clear to see how the players are developing and improving. It shows how much the players have grown in their selfbelief to come away and get a 3-0 victory and play so well after such a big game at the weekend.
“We did not defeat Anderlecht with relative ease but with a real good professionalism, with players who look like they belong at this level.”