BREN’S MISSuS IS RIGHt At HoME
bRENDAN RoDGERS has revealed why it would mean so much to him to break a record that has stood for 100 years.
Since entering management Rodgers has been obsessed with performance more than numbers and he has stayed that way despite the extraordinary figures produced during his season and a half in charge of Celtic.
The opportunity for his side to go 63 domestic matches unbeaten tomorrow and break new ground on that score, however, sends a sudden surge of pride through the Northern Irishman, not least because it would surpass a feat set by Celtic’s first boss a century ago.
Keen historian of the Parkhead outfit that he is Rodgers is well aware of the achievements of compatriot Willie Maley who led his Celtic team to 62 games without defeat between 1915 and 1917.
Should Rodgers’ side manage to stay invincible against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park tomorrow, they will go one better.
The Celtic boss sees Maley – a hugely-successful manager from 1897 to 1940 – as the pioneer for the Hoops that all others should follow.
Rodgers said: “He (Maley) was there for 43 years. You are lucky to get 43 days with football today. Knowing he was the first manager and he was from Newry, so a Northern Ireland man, I’ve looked into the history of him.
“He was the guy who started it all rolling and put us all under pressure to win. It ’s a club with immense history and he was the pioneer.”
On the chance to break the 100-year-old mark, Rodgers said: “In my time at Celtic we have created a lot of records and when you look back it is the very f irst manager of Glasgow Celtic that set this one.
“When you think of all the great managers, players and teams that have gone before us it’s fantastic the run we are on. In modern sport it is very difficult to have a run like this and our players deserve every credit.
“What we have always done in my time here is never be complacent BRENDAN RODGERS BRENDAN RODGERS has revealed his Merseyside-born wife Charlotte knew nothing about Celtic before he joined them but now loves the club and Glasgow.
Speaking to TV broadcaster Eamonn Holmes at a charity event in Belfast to promote his autobiography, Rodgers said: “She had never heard of Celtic, her family weren’t football orientated when we have a good performance. We want to win after winning which is very important. And if we were to go and beat the record and put ourselves out there on our own it would be a huge achievement.
“To go one more game and take the run on to 63 games would be an incredible achievement for the club but we won’t underestimate the difficulty of the game. “Tommy’s team at St Johnstone have always proved difficult opponents. We actually did well last year when we were up there. We scored goals and created chances and at the moment it’s a little bit easier for us to play away because there is pressure on the home team to a tt ack and be offensive.”
Approaching the league fixture, Rodgers remains buoyed by the dynamic display of his players against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night. They may have lost 2-1 but competed every step of the way with the Germans.
Rodgers is known for his attacking tactics but he pointed out defence was key against Bayern. “I like my at all but she certainly knows about it now!
“She loves the life. We have never been treated better than at Celtic. The staff behind the scenes are amazing and so professional.
“Glasgow is a great place for us to live with the schools and the people and everything.
“They are authentic people,
It’s a club with immense history and he was the pioneer BBF F
teams to play attacking football but in order to attack well and I think people underestimate this with teams that I set up, we have to defend well,” he said.
“So it’s about how quickly you get the ball back and how tight you are as a team.
“We restricted Bayern Munich to very few shots so that is a great testament to how the players put pressure on the ball collectively and how they defended. For me I have always wanted my teams to play with charisma and attack but there always has to be a balance.”
Winger James Forrest, in the absence of the injured Patrick Roberts, was full of charisma against the Germans, torturing the visiting defence and setting up Callum McGregor’s second-half goal.
“I think James is very underrated. When I first came in I knew he was a player and in a situation with six months left on his contract and he told the club he wasn’t renewing it,” said Rodgers.
“I had a chat with him in the summer and I had seen him under Gordon (Strachan) and Lenny (Neil Lennon) and thought this is a boy with all the attributes that I like. He is quick, strong, skilfulkilful and can create goals and scoreore goals.
“I think it is a realal testament who are really passionate.e. They care about you and help youou and support you.
“It’s a throwback to being ng back home. She loves it and d it has been great for us all,” l,” added Rodgers who joked d that he had never been n “given so much free stuff f in my life as I have in n Glasgow”. to him that he has won six titles and sometimes the boys that can come through the system are undervalued.
“I said to him last week that he wouldn’t be playing the game at the weekend so he would be fresh because I knew he would have to do a lot of running against Bayern Munich and he was sensational.
“His pass for the goal – if that was a European player we would be talking about it for years. It showed great ability. It was great to see him performing like that.”
With Rangers moving closer to appointing a new manager, Rodgers was asked if he was concerned they may get it right this time following the disappointing reigns of Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha during his time at Parkhead.
But he insisted his only concern was Celtic. “You always have to be aware of your competitors, but does it concern me? Not really,” he said.
“We try to judge ourselves on our standards and keep looking forward. That’s always been the way since the first day I walked into Celtic.
“We can’t just keep ahead of where our rivals are – we have to look forward.
“My notion was for Celtic to be a competitive Champions League club so we have to try to be our best in whatever competition we are in. “You have to deal with whatever comes and our standards are only
based on Celtic.” BRENDAN RODGERS believes Celtic captain Scott Brown is finally getting the credit he deserves after being cast as the “pantomime villain” by rivals.
The Parkhead boss admits the 32-year-old midfield warrior is the first one he would want beside him in the heat of battle and their relationship is crucial to the success of the club.
But Rodgers believes outsiders have finally realised this season there’s much more to Brown than his aggressive style of play.
He said: “The relationship between the captain and the manager is so important. The synergy has to be right. You are the two main pillars of the club.
“You need someone in that changing room to drive the players through because you are not with them all the time. If there are any moments in the changing room he can deal with them.
“Brown is an interesting one. If you don’t know him and you see him from the outside he’s like a pantomime villain. He has this stare and goes into this game mode which I’ve never seen before.
“If you don’t know him that’s what you see and every time we play he is booed by othother fans. But I tell you what if you went to war he would be one of the first I wouwould want beside me.
“You don’t play 10 years at Celtic if you are not a top player with a top mentality. CelCeltic is a club where the shirt is too heavy ffor some players. “He is so underratedu as a footballer but thankfuthankfully over the last year or so people aare starting to recognise that notno only is he very strong and aaggressive but he can play football foot and he is instrumental for me in the team.”