Thrilled Rodgers hails all new level of output

THE scoreline may have been the same but, for Brendan Rodgers, the performance was on another level.

The Northern Irishman made an apparently perfect start to Old Firm life with a 5-1 hammering of Rangers at Parkhead last September, but in the wake of yesterday’s triumph at Ibrox he felt compelled to laud a more complete and comprehensive showing from his title-winning players.

While the individual prowess of hat-trick hero Moussa Dembele powered Celtic to their home win over Mark Warburton’s men in the autumn, yesterday the threat came relentlessly and from all angles.

Even with Dembele absent, Celtic had five distinct goalscorers on the day, with several more chances squandered in a painfully one-sided contest.

Scott Sinclair, Leigh Griffiths, Callum McGregor, Dedryck Boyata and Mikael Lustig all found the net and, worryingly for his new opposite number Pedro Caixinha, Rodgers believes the best is yet to come from his side.

Celtic have won five and drawn the other of the six Glasgow derbies amidst a 42-game unbeaten domestic record this season and the manager believes his team is still gathering momentum.

‘What I look for is improvement in performance and from the first 5-1 to today’s 5-1, there’s a totally different dynamic to the team,’ said the former Liverpool boss. ‘The players understood all the elements of how we wanted to play and I think you saw that in full flow today.

‘Rangers started off with a diamond, and if you’re not concentrated, not organised, you can get outnumbered and out-passed.

‘Our players, tactically, were absolutely superb in the game and obviously when they had the ball and earned the right, they were sensational, really.

‘So yeah, a big difference in terms of the 5-1 at the beginning of the season to the 5-1 today. It was a very comprehensive win.

‘The only disappointment is that, clearly, we should have scored more goals.’

Despite the fact Rangers started the match 33 points adrift of the champions, and were soundly beaten in last Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final, there was still an intimidating edge to the Ibrox atmosphere, one which boiled over when a spectator broke from the Govan Stand to confront the Celtic players as they celebrated Sinclair’s opening goal from the penalty spot.

From his vantage point on the opposite touchline, Rodgers did not see the full extent of the incident, remarking: ‘It’s not nice when something like that happens, but I only caught the tail end of it really. I haven’t seen it again, there was so much more happening in the game.’

Yet, amidst the chaos, at no stage did Rodgers’ players look cowed by their surroundings. From first to last they played on the front foot and with no little swagger.

‘I said when I came in my job was to build a team who could go into any stadium without fear and play,’ he said. ‘Obviously this is one of the great rivals for Celtic, so for us to come here and show that? We had a couple of moments, like the goal at the end, which typified it.’

Although captain Scott Brown was again outstanding and winger Patrick Roberts caused no end of trouble for Rangers’ young full-back Myles Beerman, Rodgers saluted defenders Boyata and Jozo Simunovic for setting the tone for the victory.

‘There is one brain in the team,’ he continued. ‘Our defenders defend forward — be aggressive, step in, and that’s where the fifth goal comes from with Mika winning it and then scoring like a winger or a centre-forward.

‘I like my team to defend with that aggression and high level of pressing. From the first to the last minute their physicality in the game was top class.’

Celtic now have four Premiership fixtures to negotiate if they are to see out the league campaign unbeaten. An ‘Invincible’ tag will stick if they subsequently proceed to defeat Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final on May 27.

Regardless if the Treble is secured or not, Rodgers believes this team is just getting started.

‘It’s the team’s first year, they are evolving and improving,’ he concluded. ‘There’s no way they were going to be on holiday after last week.

‘You’re representing your football club and millions of supporters worldwide. There was a brilliant atmosphere today from both sets of supporters and hopefully our supporters enjoyed what they saw.

‘What pleases me most is the hunger in the team. I never like the team to get too comfortable, so if you can get three, four or five you should keep pushing.

‘That’s been the hallmark this season. We never go lazy in the game till the final whistle.

‘Our creativity, if I’m a Celtic supporter, hopefully I’m excited by watching the team, how they play and how fast and dynamic they are.

‘I’m trying to create a squad and a team and a club that goes beyond our domestic football and that’s about a mentality.

‘It’s about an environment that they can all progress in. You can see that progression and the exciting part is that it is only going to get better.’