Peru up for 1978 rematch
The Parkhead manager is full of belief in his French recruit and feels the midfielder is building up to a strong second half of the season. Ntcham was signed from Manches ter Ci t y in a £ 4million deal last summer but Rodgers has t a k en t i me to integrate him properly into the rigours of Celtic’s top-team environment. The 21-year-old has shown flashes of real talent but also had to sit out matches with the likes of Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong, Callum McGregor and Tom Rogic contending for the Hoops’ engine-room spots. But with Celtic having already played near enough the same number of games this season as Ntcham had in the two previous years, Rodgers believes the steady approach taken with the youngster will pay off. The ex- Etihad player started two of Celtic’s f inal three games in 2017 before coming off the bench in the Old Firm 0- 0 draw and Rodgers said: “Olivier will def initely kick on. It’s just me managing his load and games.
“He is 21 years old and has been away on loan at Genoa for two seasons in which he played 41 games.
“What you can’t do without running the risk of injury is expose him to game after game, especially with his body type, so he is a gradual one.
“He has come in, played a game, rested through, developed to play two games in a week then rested for the third.
“He had the Aberdeen game, t he Dundee game away then we gave him the breather and he came into the Rangers game.
“When he has the games in his legs and the body to sustain it without risking injury, he wi l l play more consecutive games.
“His use of the ball, his power, hi s pace and that shooting abi l ity, that’s why we paid for the talent and it’s my job to manage that.
“He is not like Scott who has played 40 to 50 games a season for 10 years.
“For Olivier this is his first real episode of playing. I have to manage that.”
Rodgers has praised Ntcham’s development on the pitch since last summer’s switch as wel l as his demeanour off it around the club and in the dressing room. The Northern Irishman said: “He is just a good guy. Quiet, relaxed but focused. “Olivier loves football. Football is his life and he doesn’t waste his time doing daft things. “He prepares himself well, trains every day and does extra work. He loves fo ot b a l l and talks about football. “He is just really coming to terms with playing for a big club with pressure and becoming accustomed to that. “But he’s a real good boy, no issues. He knows the path he is on and I’ve really been pleased with him. “It ’ s not about shouting and screaming, it’s about having the right mentality. That’s the respect I have for these players.
“Lots of players have motivation but to have the consistency of motivation over the period of time they showed it is absolutely incredible.
“Olivier has that mentality and it’s a case of continuing with that.”
Ntcham and the rest of Celtic’s squad are back in Scotland having flown home from a training camp in Dubai last night.
And the manager bel ieves their time in the United Arab Emirates was key for a number of reasons especially as others, such as St Johnstone boss Tommy
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Wright, failed to enjoy warmer climes. He said: “It’s all relative.
“If we get to the Champions League this is what we do. But even if we didn’t qualify there are benefits.
“I trace our success over 19 months and there are lots of things involved in it.
“But I trace a big part back to the spir it and the connection in the group that’s formed.
“It’s about environment and that’s the beauty of a trip. This season we have had virtually no time to connect whatsoever since we came back in June. No Christmas parties, nothing.
“It has just been that physical and mental load. But you need to be able to connect on the f ield and off it. You can’t underestimate that.
“I would have sympathy for somebody like Tommy. If a club doesn’t have finance then it’s hard to argue against that but you would think they could help in some way.
“I respect not every club can do it but if you have owners or sponsors willing to fund it you should.
“I like to observe. There are some young players so how are they away from home? How do they mix?
“Some players can really miss their children. I tend to try to have a group that has a good synergy and that’s part of your recruitment – getting the right types, the right profile.
“That’s equal to ability. The talent is no good if it doesn’t work so it’s critical. I have experience in that now where if it’s not right I will know it.
“So I will take a lesser talent who is coachable and hungry and bring that into my group.
“We get linked with lots of players and there are lots who could probably play for Celtic. But they don’t have the right characteristics to do it so they don’t come in. Simple.”
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Peru have invited Scotland for their World Cup send-off match, 40 years after their famous clash in Argentina.
The managerless Scots still have no games planned for this year, but the SFA confirmed this week they are looking to arrange friendlies for March and at the end of the season.
They also have Nations League qualifiers, with the draw later this month.
Peru – who have qualified for their first World Cup in 36 years – want to face Scotland at the Estadio Nacional del Peru ground in Lima on May 29.
A party atmosphere will be expected for their last game on home soil before they travel to Russia to face big-guns France, Denmark and Australia.
Peruvian FA Director of Football Antonio García Pye said: “We are committed to playing some European teams for our World Cup preparation matches.
“We have conf irmed matches in March against Croat ia in Miami and Iceland in New Jersey and our final home match will be on May 29.
“We have held talks with Scotland and Saudi Arabia and soon we will announce our opponent.”
If the friendly gets the go-ahead, it will take place 40 years to the week since Ally MacLeod’s Tartan Army were stunned in their opening 1978 World Cup tie against Peru in Cordoba.
Scotland crashed to a 3-1 defeat in Argentina with Teofilo Cubillas inspiring the South American side.
Willie Johnston tested posit ive for a banned stimulant contained in his hayfever medicine after the disastrous opening game and was sent home.
The Scots could only draw 1-1 with Iran in their next match, before famously beating Holland 3-2 but it wasn’t enough to make it out of the group stages.