The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Rodgers pleased to see Murty’s future sorted at Rangers
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was glad to see the uncertainty around Graeme Murty’s future at Rangers ended.
After Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes rejected advances from the Ibrox board earlier in the month, the Gers under-20s coach, in his second spell as caretaker following the departure of Pedro Caixinha in October, was given the job at least until the end of the season.
Ahead of the final Old Firm game of the year at Celtic Park today, Rodgers noted the Light Blues’ change in style under the former Reading and Scotland defender.
However, the Northern Irishman was also pleased that Murty’s future had been sorted
Rodgers said: “They look a bit more direct. Not so much build-up from behind.
“When Mark (Warburton) was there and Pedro (Caixinha) they tried to build their game from behind and work their way through the thirds.
“Now it goes forward that bit quicker and they look to play from there.
“Graeme has changed his shape a few times in terms of playing a diamond and playing 4-4-1-1 but is pretty much the same players I don’t think there will be too many surprises for us.
“I’m just glad for Graeme that he gets the job or certainly at least until the end of the season.
“Of course he has the opportunity to get the job in his own right and for that you need to win games and you need to win consistently.”
Rodgers is looking forward to the winter break which follows the lunchtime encounter and pointed out Celtic’s intense fixture list since the summer.
The former Swansea City and Liverpool boss said: “We actually play our 38th game which, up here and down south, is a season and we are doing it within half a season.
“This will be my 97th game as Celtic manager. I had 96 games as the manager of Swansea and I was there a couple of seasons.
“I have been here a lot less than that so it just shows you the number of games we have been playing.” But it all points to having great success and that’s what we want.”
Wes Foderingham meanwhile insists Rangers are not heading into the Old Firm showdown fearing another derby pasting from Celtic.
The Ibrox side have yet to topple their bitter rivals since Rodgers took over the Parkhead post and twice ended up on the wrong side of a 5-1 humiliation last season.
The best they have fared in their seven clashes with Rodgers’ rampant treble winners was a 1-1 draw when new boss Graeme Murty was in caretaker charge last term.
But Foderingham insists Gers will go to Celtic Park determined to go one better this time.
“You can’t dread an Old Firm game,” said the Light Blues goalkeeper.
“You don’t come here and dread those kinds of fixtures. I look forward to them.
“This is the reason why we came to this club, to play in these types of games and ultimately to win in these types of fixtures as well which is what we will be aiming to do.
“They are a good side and have a good attacking threat so I’m pretty sure that I will be busy and hopefully I can do my job.
“Anything can happen in an Old Firm game so what we need to do is go in there and give ourselves the best chance.
“Every side is beatable. We go into any fixture looking to win and these Old Firm games are special so we need to make sure that we go and give a good account of ourselves”