Gordon dismisses impact of managerial switch

Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon is not reading too much into the managerial upheaval at Rosenborg.

Academy director Rini Coolen was installed as interim boss of the Norwegian club last week after Kare Ingebrigsten and his assistant Erik Hoftun were sacked following the narrow win over Valur of Iceland.

Gordon said: “You never know, these things can go two way – they can lift a team and make them play even better and, on the other hand, if he was a popular manager then it can go the other way.

“We won’t concern ourselves too much with that. I am sure the players will want to show the new manager that they deserve to be there and they are there for the future to play in his team.

“I don’t think they will need any more motivation than to get to the next stage of the Champions League so I don’t think it will have a huge bearing.

“I don’t think it changes anything a great deal.”

The former Hearts keeper recalled a “shock” departure of a manager when George Burley left Tynecastle in 2005 with the Gorgie side unbeaten and top of the table.

He said: “We had a good group of experienced players and we managed to deal with it pretty well and still managed to go on and have a successful season.

“But your job is to go out and play football and you have to continue no matter what time of the season it is. “It is part and parcel of the game now. Managers come and go quite frequently and players have to get on with the job no matter who is in charge so I don’t think it will have a huge bearing.”

Craig Gordon: Played through the “shock” of Burley’s departure.