Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PEDRO’S SQUAD NOT ‘WELL
The Parkhead club will be crowned champions for the sixth straight season with victory today at Tynecastle against Hearts, eight months on from his league debut win in charge of the Bhoys at the same venue.
Rodgers’ invincibles have won 27 games from 29 in the league, scoring 76 goals in the process and it’s just a question of when they get their hands on the trophy. The boss says the time is now.
“I said when I came in that my job was to win it in the best way we possibly could,” said the Celtic boss.
“You can win something and it is not the same feeling but if you win and foster the spirit that you have here, this club can make it really special.
“For me, to share that with the players and the coaching staff and everyone at the club, to make everyone a champion, of course, will be really special.”
Asked what a title win would mean to him in his first season in the job, he said: “It will be a huge honour for me in relation to taking the club in my first year here to the title.
“We are coming off the back of five titles before that. Neil Lennon and Ronny Deila did fantastic and of course we wanted to continue with that.
Rodgers also revealed that he urged Stuart Armstrong to simply maintain his Celtic form during his Scotland debut against Slovenia last weekend. RANGERS boss Pedro Caixinha blamed injuries and illness as he was forced to rip up his game plan during the 1-1 draw with Motherwell.
The Light Blues were miles off the pace as they struggled through the opening 45 minutes against Stephen Robinson’s welldrilled Well side.
And with his team a goal down to Louis Moult’s thirdminute opener, the new Rangers manager was forced to rejig his tactics at half-time.
Caixinha used all three substitutions during the interval as three members of his starting back four were replaced, with midfielders Jon Toral and Andy Halliday forming a makeshift three-man backline alongside Rob Kiernan.
It was one of his replacements, Joe Garner, who rescued a point for his side, but Rangers had to ride their luck during a madcap finale that saw their improvised line-up cling on for a point.
The Portuguese coach said: “No Rangers manager or players can be happy if we draw, whether at Ibrox or anywhere else.
“But we can understand what happened. Lee Wallace wasn’t 100% and tried his very best, and Lee Hodson arrived with a high fever. Clint also felt his hamstring. So we were forced not only to change the mindset but everything.
“Football can be like this and I have to praise my players for the second half.”