NOW HE WANTS TO LIFT EUROMILLIONS
Hoops gaffer’s next big target is glamour games beyond Xmas
BRENDAN RODGERS last night issued a fresh challenge to his all-conquering Celtic squad for next season – to make sure the club is still in Europe after Christmas.
Celebrations that followed only the fourth Treble in the club’s history on Saturday were still ringing round the Celtic dressing room when Rodgers stepped out to set new goals for the next campaign.
He knows Celts are unlikely to match the incredible 47-game domestic unbeaten run they
completed with Tom Rogic’s Scottish Cup Final winner but believes qualifying for the Champions League can help his players reach new heights.
Rodgers knows the club’s major shareholder Dermot Desmond claimed last week making the last 16 should be their target.
But he’d settle for being in either the Champions League or Europa League – by finishing third in their group – and ensuring Parkhead hosts more special European nights in next season’s second half.
However, Rodgers insisted even getting through the Champions League qualifiers will be an achievement.
He said: “You have to be careful and recognise where we are. We’re 10 times behind budget wise. You have to be realistic.
“We want to quality first and foremost. That will always be a challenge. Then we have to try to see what we can do.
“The gauge for us is to measure calmly once we’ve qualified.
“We would like to be in Europe for the second part of the season, whatever competition that’s in. And that’s a huge ask for a club like ourselves.”
Rodgers will strengthen his side in the summer but he is also aware Celtic’s success will bring interest in his players.
He hopes Stuart Armstrong, who further enhanced his reputation with a superb equaliser at Hampden, will sign a new deal in the summer but warned they can’t match the money down south.
He said: “I’m sure it will get tied up. We put it off about 10 days ago because I didn’t want it to affect the preparation for this game.
“I’m realistic. Football is about two things for players – game time and money. So I’m not going to give all the fruity answers or nice answers and say, ‘Oh, it’s great, it’s fantastic, brilliant, you’ll love it.’
“No, what we can do is create an environment that is fantastic for them to be in. If they decide to move, it’s OK.
“We’ll fight to keep them but if they don’t want to stay we’ll find someone else.”
The manager admitted he felt drained after a season in which so much has been achieved. He has written his name into the club’s folklore in only his first season, joining Jock Stein and Martin O’Neill as Treble-winning Celtic bosses. But after a break he’ll be ready to go again.
He added: “I’m tired. It has been a long season, lots of mental and physical effort put in by everyone.
“That’s what it’s like as a manager, at clubs like Liverpool and Celtic, where expectations are huge and you have to win.
“I want to impose a way of playing and working which doesn’t just happen with a click of the fingers.
“So, yeah, it’s the pressure which is always there. You just manage it and cope with it. But there is a part of you which has to press the reset button.
“At times like this, I think of my mum and dad. I wish they were here. My two older kids unfortunately couldn’t make it to Hampden. But I think of the wider Celtic family and most of all for the players and the supporters.
“Throughout my career, because of my journey, there have always been critics. But that’s the nature of it.
“We just have to work well and in victory always have humility. Keep the players’ feet on the ground. We need to rest now and come back refreshed.”