On place at Parkhead after top-notch goal in semi-final
higher up the field; you shorten the pitch and create more chances. When you’re not pressing high up the field then you’re much deeper.
“Our last three domestic games – against St Johnstone, who hadn’t been beaten at home for a while, we were very good; and we took that into the Hibs match, which was always going to be a big test; and then we did well against Hearts, who’s made a great start to the campaign.
“The intensity is back in our game, which is great to see, and that performance level is very important to us.”
Rodgers admitted not so long ago that he didn’t know if Celtic would find their full flow this season. They are not quite there yet but are getting to where they want to be.
The manager said: “I am not psychic. All we could do was to work hard on the training field. I’m just so happy for the players. There is not a great deal of work we can do in terms of being physical with them because we are playing and then recovering. You can’t push them to work hard.
“We did a lot of sessions in terms of technical and tactical work, and patterns we can create better on the pitch and then analysis our work.
“Fundamentally, it comes from how we press the game. We are pressing better and winning the ball higher up the pitch. The front players are not isolated. For us, that’s always been the method of our game.
“This gives us higher number of players up the pitch so when you win it you can combine with one another to try something creative, and if you lose it there are people there to win it back.
“The basics of the game is better now for us. When we don’t have the ball we are tighter as a team, more compact. And when we have the ball we are creating better space in order to play and are doing things quicker because we have the numbers in effective areas.
“That is something that has returned to our game and of course there is confidence as well.”
It’s a potent mix.