‘We’re in great shape going up to Pittodrie’
breathes football, Scotty, so I am sure he will be looking forward to it. When you get three it becomes a job.”
Jim McIntyre, the Ross County manager, meanwhile was incensed that Craig Gordon, the Celtic goalkeeper, wasn’t sent off by referee Alan Muir for a foul on Liam Boyce in the second half when the score was still delicately balanced at 1-0. However, Rodgers felt the match official had got the decision correct.
“I can see why Jim was upset, but I saw it at the time and their player is going away from goal,” he said. “Craig’s done it before – he’s making a habit of it and giving me questions to answer. But it was a yellow card. There were two or three players behind the ball.
“I thought the ref was excellent but of course if you are a Ross County supporter then you want the man to go. With a calm head and a look at the replay they will see it’s a yellow card.”
McIntyre, who replaced right back Marcus Fraser with striker Alex Schalk late on in an attempt to snatch an equaliser, also felt that Leigh Griffiths, the Celtic striker, was lucky not to get order off for a second bookable offence after appearing to kick out at Andrew Davies, the County defender.
“There were a couple of key decisions where I’m scratching my head wondering why we are not getting them,” he said.
“First, it was definitely a second booking on Leigh Griffiths – he has a wee swipe at Andrew Davies, but we don’t get it. If that’s out player, he’s off. Then you had Craig Gordon’s challenge – it’s high, it’s dangerous, it’s reckless. If an outfield player went in that high, he’d go off the park.
“So these two decisions didn’t go our way. There was that inconsistency there tonight. It is disappointing, and Alan Muir is a good referee, but I’m disappointed.”
McIntyre added: “To lose 4-0 was very harsh. Until the last 15 minutes when we chose to make that change of Marcus Fraser off and Alex Schalk on, to get another attacker on there to get something from the game, then we were well in it.
“We created some good opportunities so from that viewpoint, the gameplan worked reasonably well. We’ve hit the post and Craig Gordon had a couple of good saves as well. We were a threat – and we were in the match.”
I can see why Jim was upset, but their player is going away from goal. Craig’s done it before – he’s giving me questions to answer