DEL: BRENDAN IS STILL BOSS TO BE ADMIRED
KILMARNOCK boss Derek McInnes insists Celtic pulled off a major coup when they enticed Brendan Rodgers back to the club.
And nothing that has happened this season has altered his opinion.
Hoops manager Rodgers has faced flak from a section of the Parkhead support for their displays this term after picking up the reigns from Treblewinning Ange Postecoglou.
Rodgers rounded on his and his team’s critics following Celtic’s Scottish Cup win over St Mirren last weekend and vowed to silence the doubters.
McInnes admits there is pressure on the Hoops as they battle for the Premiership crown with rivals Rangers but insists that goes with the territory at the Old Firm.
He has nothing but respect for what Rodgers has achieved in his career and knows he will be pitting his wits against a natural-born winner when Killie head to Celtic Park on Saturday.
McInnes said: “We speak often enough but you don’t really know the ins and outs of it, you can only surmise.
“Brendan has been on record saying he would probably liked to have added a few more players and strengthened their starting XI more.
“I’m sure the club tried to support that but it’s not always easy.
“From Brendan’s point of view he knows the club inside out, he know what he was coming back to.
“I thought at the time it was an unbelievable coup to get Brendan. To lose
Ange Postecoglou and get Brendan Rodgers in was great work from them and nothing’s changed in that.
“Obviously there’s a wee bit of pressure coming from Rangers but at Rangers and Celtic you should always expect that pressure from each other.
“When I was at Aberdeen I went down to Liverpool to see him and went to watch him work when he was at Swansea.
“Over a period of time he’s been good enough to give me some good young players on loan from Liverpool and Celtic.
“But listen, I know how competitive he is and how much he wants to win.”
McInnes got the better of Rodgers at Celtic Park when he was Aberdeen manager in May 2018.
A 1-0 win secured a second-place finish in the Premiership and McInnes reckons the Dons didn’t get the respect they deserved as Celtic had already won the league and had the Cup Final to look forward to.
He said: “People kind of dismiss that but I remember getting the Celtic team in and it was their cup final side.
“So there were no favours and we had to do a lot right in the game. That was a real highlight for us.”