The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Caley Jags face Goliath task
Premiership: Rodgers praises superhuman Celts ahead of Inverness trip
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has hailed the “superhuman efforts” of his players as the Hoops prepared to try scratch the Caley Thistle itch.
The Parkhead men have won 25 and drawn one of 26 Premiership games with the only bump in the journey to the title coming in a 2-2 draw at Inverness in September.
Celtic are unbeaten in 32 domestic matches since the start of the campaign and are 24 points ahead of second-placed Aberdeen as they return to the Highlands tomorrow night.
Rodgers, who said midfielder James Forrest is awaiting results on a scan on a knee injury picked up in the 2-0 win against Hamilton at the weekend, praised the consistency of his players.
He said: “We have won
“The onus is on us, as it always is, to try to break them down”
every game from that point. The players are human but what they have shown this season already is a superhuman effort to continue with focus and concentration.
“Of course we should have won the game and their goalkeeper at the time had an incredible game.
“We have played Inverness twice since and got two victories. Since we last played them and won 6-0 in the Scottish Cup, Richie Foran and his team have shown up well. They have reflected on that game and been very difficult to beat.
“They have had two very good results – away at Hearts, where they drew, and on Friday night when they had a really good victory against Rangers.
“We recognise it will be a tough game for us, but the onus is on us, as it always is, to try to break them down and look to attack and get the positive result we want.”
While the countdown is on to the club’s sixth successive title win, Rodgers, who took charge of the club last summer following the departure of Ronny Deila, urged his side to remain relentless.
The Northern Irishman said: “We can never get comfortable. We always have to be pushing.
“The sign of a really good team and a great team is nobody is never satisfied. We have to keep pushing and that is the idea.
“When I came in, even though we had won the title five times, I said our job isn’t to defend it.
“Our job is to win it and that means playing with an aggression and purpose in every game we are playing. That is what they have done and they have been absolutely first class at that.
“But we have to keep it going. We have 12 games left in the league and hopefully a few more Scottish Cup games to go and the players are still fresh and have the focus. We see that in every game we play.”