BREN: OUR BEST YET
From Back Page Hoops are now unbeaten in 33 domestic games this season with their only blip a 2-2 draw at the Caledonian Stadium in September.
And Rodgers reckons last night’s win shows how far they’ve come in the fiveand-a-half months since.
He said: “It was arguably our most complete performance of the season. We were brilliant.
“When we arrived here in June, if I had an image of how I wanted the team to play that would’ve been it.
“We controlled it, we defended well, we pressed the ball and scored four different types of goals. We were outstanding against an Inverness team that has picked up good results against Hearts and Rangers.
“With the ball, playing with charisma, mobility, penetration and looking a real threat, I take my hat off to the players – it was a brilliant performance.
“I said when we drew here in September the team would get better.
“Even though we played well in that game, there was no level of control like that, no idea how to press and work together.
“That shows how we’ve come on from that point.
“Maybe people will stop talking about that game now. It shows the team are moving in the direction of what I want in terms of attacking philosophy.”
Sinclair took his tally to 17 for the season and Dembele to 31 but Rodgers said: “I never give them targets. I just want them to work very hard and function in their team.
“Moussa’s work rate tonight was outstanding – quality getting better all the time. For a kid of 20 to be playing at that high level is remarkable. And we think of Scott as a winger but he scores so many.”
Celtic now take on Championship side St Mirren on Sunday as they aim to book a Scottish Cup semi-final place and move within 180 minutes of a first domestic treble in 16 years.
But Rodgers isn’t concerned about a lack of a domestic challenge and said: “Some people will say you need more competition to do better in Europe.
“I don’t necessarily agree. We work hard – you can only beat the opponent in front of you. We’re developing our game, that’s the most important thing.
“I know what level the guys are playing at.
“We demonstrated that against Man City – the first team to stop them winning. Us, from little Scotland, were the only team they didn’t beat in the Champions League.
“So the league might not be that prestigious. But we’re playing at a really high level. They have tremendous appetite. It has been a phenomenal performance from the start of the season but we’re never satisfied – we keep looking to improve.”
Inverness remain two points behind Motherwell at the foot of the table and boss Richie Foran blasted his side, particularly for the Owain Fon Williams error that gifted Celtic’s second.
He said: “It was comical. We weren’t beaten before we went on the park. We lacked courage on the ball. We passed the buck. We were scared to give it away.
“We had no courage at all on the ball. The second goal was down to fear to play a forward pass. We didn’t believe, we didn’t want to run forward. That wasn’t good enough on the ball.”