WE WON’T RISE TO THE BAIT
My Bhoys will resist temptation to go ape over Motherwell jibes
BRENDAN Rodgers has absorbed Motherwell’s anger this week without feeling the urge to respond in kind. Celtic’s manager owes his restraint to the best-selling book which taught him to tame his inner chimp.
‘There are always emotions after games,’ said Rodgers. ‘Especially when you lose a cup final, and that’s why I never go too strongly about what people are saying.
‘When the chimp calms down and you get the human side, it’s all okay. I try never to provoke the chimp. It’s all raging inside you. Read the book.’
The Chimp Paradox by Dr Steve Peters took on the properties of a performance bible for the likes of former Olympian Victoria Pendleton.
A former sports psychologist for British Cycling and Liverpool, Peters describes himself as a ‘mind mechanic’ and operates on the premise that top-level athletes should never let impulsive emotions drag them down.
For Rodgers, then, the temptation to respond to anger or accusations of diving by his players is carefully resisted.
The inner chimp is kept on a tight leash.
‘People will always find a reason to be negative, or find a reason to lose or draw or whatever, but that’s okay,’ he said of accusations from Motherwell players that Scott Sinclair (below) and Callum McGregor dived to win penalties.
‘We know how we are. We have demonstrated that often enough, so our headlines are for the game and always will be. You lose track of what people are trying to say and it doesn’t bother us.’
It’s safe to assume the work of Dr Peters has yet to make an impression on Celtic captain Scott Brown.
Visibly angered by Motherwell’s claims, the Scotland captain urged the Fir Park side to focus on coins and missiles thrown at Celtic players during Wednesday’s 1-1 draw, before a spot-kick won by McGregor ramped up the war of words a little further.
Calmly refuting suggestions his players are less honest than they could be, Rodgers cites statistics to support his argument.
‘We were at the bottom of the table for penalties given before Wednesday night,’ he continued. ‘I suspect, if there was analysis done, we’re probably in the box more than any team — and in the box with quality possession.
‘I said after the League Cup final that I don’t think we get the penalties we should get.’
An incident involving Sinclair supports his point. In the aftermath of the Betfred Cup final, when the winger stood accused of going down a little too easily, images emerged of a similar incident against Dundee.
Yet Rodgers can also point to the 2-2 draw with Hibs at the end of September. Pulled back by Efe Ambrose as he prepared to shoot late in the game, Sinclair stayed on his feet. The penalty wasn’t given.
‘Listen, we’re all human,’ said Rodgers. ‘We see it. How many times have you watched a game, the guy stays up and straight away people say, “If he goes down he gets a penalty,”?
‘We can’t be contradictory here. You know if you stay on your feet you don’t get it — let’s be clear.
‘But, at the same time, if a player does go down, if he’s impeded, he shouldn’t be punished for it either.
‘I certainly haven’t seen it happen where a player is in the box, he’s impeded and he stays on his feet and gets a penalty.
‘Again, both referees were in perfect positions. Craig Thomson was right up with the game and he can see it.
‘In fairness to Willie Collum on Wednesday night, he was right on the spot.’
At the behest of supporters, Motherwell have contacted SFA head of referees John Fleming to seek clarification for both penalties and the red card for defender Cedric Kipre at Hampden last Sunday
‘Stevie (Robinson) said afterwards that he (Sinclair) wasn’t touched, but obviously, when you saw it afterwards, he was pulled,’ said Rodgers.
All of this adds to the cocktail of a third game between the teams in six days at Parkhead this afternoon.
Close to losing a 66-game unbeaten record on Wednesday, Rodgers will urge his players to set about win No 67 calmly.
‘It will be a tough game,’ he admitted. ‘It’s been a good week with different dynamics in both games, but we’re looking forward to playing at home. ‘We haven’t done that for a while and to get there with a nice big pitch and get working will be good. ‘We want to get the three points, it’s important.
‘It has been a real busy ten days, with so many game and emotions. There is edge and pressure around every game that we play.
‘There is no more and no less here — we play to win, we want to play well and we want to get three points.’
Remarkably, the champions have scored in each of the 66 games so far, a run which began with a 7-0 home win over Motherwell in May 2016.
‘You want to defend well and then obviously that gives you a chance to score,’ said Rodgers. ‘With that, we have creative players. I think we can be better in the final third.
‘I think we can make better choices, but the statistics over the course of the period is absolutely brilliant.
‘It shows you the threat and attacking intent in the team and we hope that continues.’