The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Rodgers raises the bar as Celtic begin bid for seven in a row
SKIPPER: Brown reveals Rodgers has set more targets for his players as new league season nears
Brendan Rodgers has raised the bar for his Celtic side this season, skipper Scott Brown has revealed.
In his first year in the Hoops hotseat the Parkhead club went unbeaten in Scotland to win the domestic treble while reaching the group stages of the Champions League.
After beating Aberdeen 2-1 in the William Hill Scottish Cup final at Hampden, Rodgers said: “We ticked off six of our targets, one that we didn’t”.
Speaking at a club captains’ event at the national stadium to publicise the start of the SPFL season this weekend, Brown said: “We have a few more targets than that and we will see if we can hit them all.
“Every month we sit down and have a meeting to see if we have hit our stats, whether it is goals, possession, whatever it is, and we need to try and build on the ones that we didn’t hit last season.
“We set standards high in training every day. The gaffer wants us to hit those stats and maintain that so that is what we need to do.
“We have a huge squad now and there is a lot of competition for places. The main thing for us is the league. We need to try to win the league yet again and go for seven in a row, that is first and foremost.”
Celtic still have a bit to do before they reach the Champions League following their goalless draw with Rosenborg in the first leg of the third qualifier last week.
The Scotland skipper remains confident of reaching the play-offs when they travel to Trondheim for the return game tomorrow night.
“We are looking forward to it,” said Brown, who revealed that former Celtic team-mate Shaun Maloney was at the club’s Lennoxtown training complex as reports linked him with a coaching role with the under-20s.
“We managed to make sure they didn’t score in their away game, now it is our turn to go over there.
“They need to come out a little bit more than they did at Celtic Park and here’s hoping we can take our chances.
“It is nil-nil, if we score a goal they need to score two. It is still 50-50, it depends who wants it more on the day.
“Their game plan was spot on for them, they defended well but managed to stop us.
“We had a lot of possession, now we have to move the ball a lot quicker, create more chances and when we do get those chances need to make sure we take them.”
Maloney, 34, is a free agent after turning down a one-year extension at Hull and has also been linked with a move to Aberdeen.
Brown said: “He was in looking at the facilities and seeing the gaffer’s coaching.
“The wee man would be brilliant. I had some great times with him. He will bring class.”