Bren: Errors to blame for Euro routs not tactic of playing out from back

KEITH JACKSON IN VALENCIA

k.jackson@dailyrecord.co.uk do you think he’ll want to see a team play? Likewise, If I had a little mobile striker commentating, what style do you think he’d prefer?

“The perception has never bothered me. The reality is we’re going into European football while in a different level and market.

“What we have to do is find a way to win. So is it defend on the edge of our 18-yard box for 90 minutes and suffer? Maybe get a point or just lose a game 3-0 instead of 6-0? That’s not me.

“But that’s not to say I go out, just open the whole pitch up and let people run through us. You have to bear in mind some of the heavier defeats we have taken in Europe have been against teams who have done it to other teams.

“Yes Barcelona beat us heavily but they also did it to PSG. We’ve also had games where we just haven’t played well or we have made mistakes, like Valencia last week. What got lost was that we started the game well but the end point is the result. I get that.

“We make mistakes and it’s about trying to bridge that gap between the level we play at domestically to then coming in against top European teams.

“As a club the players will gain more by having the belief and confidence to play. Fundamentally it’s the same as how we play domestically, although of course there is more dominance there.

“It’s about how we defend, that’s the starting point. From there you play football. At this level it’s a different level of player, a different physicality and technical ability. At times it has been tough for us, especially if we’ve made mistakes.

“Valencia are a team who play on your mistakes. They’re not pressing you aggressively or coming after you. They sit in a block, that’s the philosophy. They are waiting on your mistakes, so the key is don’t make so many of them and concentrate.”

Last week’s defeat was a real stinger for Celtic’s boss. Not least because the performance very possibly made Valencia look even better than they are.

So far this season they’ve won only six La Liga games. That’s enough to make Rodgers believe this tie is not over just yet.

He said: “We didn’t play well enough last week. We made mistakes. We know you have to really concentrate.

“These are some of the things