QUALIFIED SUCCESS
Rodgers hails Celtic’s brilliant achievement of reaching the Europa League but knows big improvement is needed after Anderlecht defeat
BRENDAN RODGERS might dismiss the term pragmatism. But he certainly embraces the concept of realism.
As the Celtic manager looks back on a second Champions League group-stage campaign and ahead to the knockout phase of the Europa League at the beginning of next year he isn’t blinded by mere advancement.
Rodgers is clear qualification out of Group B has been a major achievement and he’s right.
Outrunning their position as a bottom seed the Scottish champions managed to haul themselves over Anderlecht.
Given the class and ability shown by the Belgians in Glasgow’s east end on Tuesday night that in itself was no mean feat.
However, it was that same 90-minute examination that gives him his perspective.
Rodgers wasn’t shellshocked or alarmed by Celtic’s below-par display. He’s aware his club can’t just click their fingers and bridge a financial and technical chasm that separates his players from the elite.
But he was disappointed. You could tell. Having shown on matchday two in Brussels they could find the necessary improvement to bridge the gap to the Belgians and those just under the elite level of the superpowers, Tuesday’s failure in a huge number of departments was deflating.
Rodgers said as much in the immediate aftermath.
The press conference comment that “some of them think they are Champions League players but this is a good leveller for those guys to reflect on the performance and be better” was a telling statement.
Rodgers isn’t asking his players to reach levels outwith their capability. What he is asking from them is to do what they can do properly and on a consistent basis.
The manager said: “Over the course of the tournament it is a brilliant achievement for us to qualify.
“We have to be clear about that. For us to come through the group and get into the Europa League is a big achievement and we had some good performances.
“I thought we played really well against Bayern at home. Away we got
the result against Anderlecht which has now be shown to be a fantastic result.
“We have had some lessons along the way as well and for us, where we are at domestically, we should take huge pride as players and as a club to be in the Europa League in February.
“But it is also dovetailed along with the work that is required to be competitive at this level and that will always remain very difficult for us.
“If you are going to compete then of course it’s about quality.
“I don’t want to be too negative. We were disappointed we lost the Anderlecht game but how we stuck in there was good.
“We weren’t very good in our ball possession in the first half, in our belief in taking the ball.
“I felt a lot more comfortable in the second half in terms of our ability to keep the ball. That is absolutely vital at this level.
“We had too many players giving the ball away cheaply. We were technically short.
“We are not always technically short but we were technically short. This is a level where if you can’t look after the ball you get punished.”
Rodgers can’t do much about the quality gap. There isn’t £100million kicking around to sign two or three stars of the highest quality.
But he added: “I’m pretty clear where we are at as a squad and I’m also realistic about what we can bring in.
“It’s very difficult and we will always rely on the collective.
“There won’t be one player at this level who is a massive standout. Our star is the team. That is the way it will always be.
“The challenge here is always to push and be the best we can be despite the resources we have.
“At this level we are nowhere near it. But we have to find a way and try to represent Celtic and represent the nation the best we can.”
Rodgers’s assessment is not intended to paint a bleak picture. Just a realistic one. And part of that realism must incorporate the positive aspects.
The qualification out of the group is the obvious one but also the management of the situation at crucial stages from both boss and players.
Celtic were in big trouble for 45 minutes against Anderlecht and Rodgers was able to stem the tide with a system change followed by a personnel alteration at the interval that changed the tie for the better.
Rodgers relished the challenge but did laugh when it was pointed out his substitutions showed a strength in depth within the squad as he said: “Absolutely. Or it shows I picked the wrong team!
“But I enjoy that side of it, the in-game management. I could see very quickly the rhythm of the game.
“We weren’t passing it well enough. We were getting rid of it instead of passing it and there is a huge difference.
“You’ve then got to change the structure of it to keep it together and at least get through to halftime at 0-0 and then make changes and bring in two players who can keep the ball better.
“That allowed us to be better in the second half and play the shape we wanted to. We lost the own goal but stayed calm.”
Which brought Rodgers to the next positive – the mentality. Collapses of the Beer Sheva and Astana nature could have happened again on Tuesday night after Anderlecht’s opening goal.
That they didn’t and Celtic saw it through offered comfort and the boss said: “We knew if we had conceded another one then we would have been under real pressure.
“But there is a huge psychological shift now. Okay, we went 1-0 behind but we still stayed calm.
“We had to change the shape of the team into a five, a diamond one, to try to block out the central area of the pitch while giving us enough cover behind.
“That mentality we have built up over a period of time got us through the game.
“Tactically and psychologically we were good in that moment not to fall away.
“Of course I will always demand us to be better in possession but it’s job done and see you in February.”