Rodgers: My fringe performers fluffed chance in spotlight
what we had to do.
“The result doesn’t change the fact were comfortable at 1-0 and we have to see it out. The last four or five minutes doesn’t change that.”
Results last night mean Celtic now go into a top-of-the-table clash against Kilmarnock on Saturday afternoon.
The Rugby Park side moved to the top following their 2-0 win over Livingston and Rodgers is keen to see his side get last night’s display out of their system.
“Kilmarnock have played a couple more games than us but it’s still really good for them to be up there and it makes the game at the weekend very important for us,” he said.
“We’ll recover and look forward to playing at home as it feels like ages since we played at home.”
Olivier Ntcham was replaced at the break after struggling on the lefthand of midfield but Rodgers hinted that he was irked at the performance of the French under-21 internationalist.
Leigh Griffiths also made way midway through the second period, and Rodgers revealed the striker was suffering from cramp.
“He just cramped up – it’s his first start in a while and the idea was to get minutes into his legs,” he said.
“Ntcham change was tactical. We needed more – it was as simple as that.”
And while Rodgers was frustrated at the result he was also scathing of the display as a whole.
“It was a game that we didn’t play well in – in particular the first-half,” he said. “We scored a good goal and then didn’t take the chance with the penalty and also had a good goal ruled out from Filip Benkovic.
“At that stage I wasn’t so happy with our positioning and level of our game.
“In the second half our positioning was better but we were still too loose.
“Then of course if you don’t take chances you are vulnerable at the end of the game. It’s definitely two points dropped.
“It’s good to look at the levels – Jonny Hayes did great and I think his thrust and pressing was very good given that he hasn’t played for a while.
“For us [generally] and the level we’ve been at it was not so good. It’s a poor goal to lose. We didn’t win the first ball, the second, the third and he scores from a very narrow angle.
“It was a disappointing goal to concede. I don’t think they took it for granted it was down to concentration.
“And we also had a good goal disallowed and a chance from a penalty. We just made too many mistakes.”