OLD FIRM COUNTDOWN
As Old Firm clash looms, Rodgers insists players and fans must respect boundaries
BRENDAN RODGERS notes the disturbing trend for football supporters to quite literally cross the line. That is why, more than ever, he urges his players not to do likewise. In midweek, a Celtic fan made it halfway across the Parkhead pitch to attempt a kick at Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe (right). Thankfully, the idiot’s aim was as wonky as his moral compass.
Back in April, Rodgers’ Celtic captain Scott Brown found himself faced with an angry Rangers supporter who managed to breach security after Scott Sinclair had put Celtic 1-0 up at Ibrox. Again, no harm was done but the threat was real.
Ahead of next weekend’s first Old Firm clash of the season, Police Scotland will no doubt pay their normal visit to the teams’ respective training grounds to offer an official plea for calm.
Rodgers (right) hopes the fans are also able to observe their boundaries.
He said: ‘Whatever frustration, anger or issues that you have — at the end of the day — it’s still just a football game. Sport is competitive and intense, but it should never spill over into things like that.
‘I see it across football now, not just Rangers and Celtic. I saw something frightening the other night in the Spartak Moscow game with the flare. What is the world coming to?’ If Rodgers harbours concerns, he does not wish to deny players and fans a release if and when Celtic score against Rangers next Saturday. Just as he felt Rangers were entitled to milk the moment when Clint Hill grabbed an 87th-minute equaliser at Parkhead last season, he took no issue with his players grandstanding in front of their own fans in the Broomloan Stand as they chalked up a 5-1 win last time out. ‘It’s important to celebrate — but in the right way,’ he continued. ‘The Rangers boys got criticism when they celebrated in the 1-1 game. ‘But they should celebrate — they have scored a late goal in a big game away at their rivals. Milk it, that’s what you should do. But you can’t cross the line, always be sensible. ‘You have to stay calm. Our ability to stay calm under pressure bred our success in those games last term. I understand the feelings and the emotions — you want them to be passionate, aggressive. But it has to be under control.’ Rodgers would love his team to play with the same zest and intent as they showed in their last meeting with Rangers.
Six days after a comprehensive 2-0 win over Pedro Caixinha’s team in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden, Celtic turned on the style with a more ruthless performance that saw Leigh Griffiths, Callum McGregor, Dedryck Boyata and Mikael Lustig add to Sinclair’s early salvo in the 5-1 romp.
‘In terms of personality within the team, it was a great week,’ he said. ‘We were outstanding in the cup semi-final — our performance level in every facet was very good.
‘At Ibrox, the feeling was that we would be under severe pressure from their play and the crowd. There was no way we could go and play like we did in the semi.
‘For the players to handle that side of it, perform like they did and actually be disappointed we scored only five made the performance outstanding.
‘You are doing your job if the game is over by 65, 70 minutes. If you are going to Ibrox and doing that against one of the great rivals, performing at that level was pretty special.’
Rodgers reckons Rangers have improved since that day and makes a point of highlighting the scale of the resources given over by the Ibrox board to Caixinha for his summer rebuild.
Appointed in March, the Portuguese was in assessment mode when he took charge for the final two derbies of last season and — after leaving his team vulnerable with an open formation last time out — has stiffened things with a more traditional formation.
Bruno Alves, Ryan Jack and Alfredo Morelos have strengthened each department of the team
‘(Last time) they played with a diamond, looking to have numbers in midfield and two front players,’ added Rodgers. ‘It’s flatter now in terms of how they are playing it.
‘I’m not sure 4-4-2 is what Pedro would purely like to play. I think he is looking at what he has and how he can maximise what he gets from the players.
‘But I’m sure their intention is to win the league and what they have spent I’m sure is a mark of that.’
With the teams drawn to play each other in the semi-finals of both cup competitions, there were six derby games last season.
Celtic bookended the series with 5-1 victories but Rodgers contends
‘YOU SEE IT ALL ACROSS FOOTBALL NOW, IT’S NOT JUST RANGERS AND CELTIC. I SAW SOMETHING FRIGHTENING IN MOSCOW THE OTHER NIGHT WITH THE FLARE. WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?’ Of course you should celebrate. Milk it if you have to — but just don’t cross the line
his team was in much better fettle in April than when a Moussa Dembele hat-trick helped put Mark Warburton’s line-up to the sword this time last year.
‘The first one is important but it doesn’t give you the whole story for the season,’ he insisted. ‘With the way I work, I always believe we will improve as the season goes on.
‘But the first one will be good. We’re away from home and we know it will be a tough game.’
With Celtic’s joust with PSG dominating the headlines, there has, until now, been a relatively quiet lead-up to the first derby.
Even with both teams involved in Betfred Cup quarter-finals this week, that will now change. Rodgers insists he relishes the spotlight.
‘There were six of them last year but the run-up is special,’ he said. ‘You know the intensity and feeling around them is great.
‘For both sets of supporters it’s everything. That’s who you play for.’