FORGET 10 JUST BE GREIGHT
Rodgers: Let’s take one title at a time
Brendan Rodgers has told his Celtic players to forget 10- in- a- row – and just concentrate on getting to eight.
Hoops supporters are demanding a record decade of titles but that’s off theParkhead gaffer’s agenda for now.
He said: “I hear the fans singing about 10-in-a-row
but for myself, players and the staff, it’s about eight-in-a-row. Forget the other two – just go and get the eighth.”
Celtic need three more league flags to achieve the magic 10 but Rodgers is simply focused on continual improvement.
After securing a Double Treble last term, the Celtic gaffer wants another domestic clean sweep and he’s looking no further than the next 10 months.
He said: “Is the target to win it all again? Whether it’s a target or not for me, it’s the demand of this club.
“Every competition you enter at Celtic, you enter it to win.
“Reaching the groups of the Champions League is a huge task for us. But domestically you have to try and win every trophy.
“I tip my hat to the players for how they’ve performed in the past two years. But it’s exactly the same idea this season.
“There is a hunger to improve again.”
Rodgers insists complacency won’t be an issue as he embarks on his third year at Parkhead.
He said: “You do your talking on the pitch. I see the players’ work rate and intensity. There is a real collective spirit.
“Odsonne Edouard coming in as a signed player is big because the players see his quality. And we have others who are evolving and developing.
“For myself? I have a brilliant staff here.
“They understand the philosophy and ideas of how we play. As the manager it’s my job to lead that.
“It’s about getting the player profile right. You have to recruit hungry players. Once you get the right types in, you can affect them.
“For our players this is an era when they can have a really successful period at Celtic.
“The beauty and exciting thing for me is seeing them grow.
“We’ve never had a lazy day, from myself all the way down. It’s intense, relentless and the culture is in place.
“The players want to be successful, they want to win things and get better. You need to have a vision of where you see it all going. “You must have values in how you work and if you create that culture, it will bring you the rewards.”
Despite Rodgers’ confidence ahead of the new campaign, he expects their Premiership rivals, including Rangers, to be stronger this year.
He revealed that he HASN’T watched any of Steven Gerrard’s games in charge so far but believes a potential title challenge won’t just come from Ibrox.
Rodgers said: “I haven’t seen Rangers yet under Stevie. But I know the league will be strong this year.
“Aberdeen always do well. Hibs, Hearts and Kilmarnock under Stevie Clarke – you can’t speak in isolation about a challenge.
“I expect it to be really competitive and every team will be hard to beat.”
We’ve never had a lazy day ... it’s relentless. The players want to be successful