Top Line Summary

  • Reacts to Manager of the Month award
  • Fitness update as Maeda returns to training
  • Previews Hearts clash versus Steven Naismith
  • Addresses pressures and squad harmony
  • Scales contract reaction and Taylor talks ongoing

Everything Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said, ahead of his side's Scottish Premiership match with Hearts on Saturday afternoon at Celtic Park...

Congratulations on the Manager of the Month award. What does it say about the body of work you and the team have produced over that time?

I think the players have been great. They have got the results and awards like this are always a testament to everybody. Our staff, both here and at the stadium and the players. We won't read too much into it as we are going into an exciting period now in these remaining games and our focus is very much on picking up team awards rather than individual awards.

Daizen Maeda was back with the group this morning. How is he and is he back in your thoughts for the weekend?

He'll come into the squad for the weekend and it is great news for us. When you think he was maybe not going to be available to us that was the initial thinking medically. He has recovered remarkably well and we can all see that he is a specimen physically. It's great that he's back and it's brilliant news for us.

That's Daizen back ahead of schedule, and Callum (McGregor) came back way ahead of schedule is that testimony to the desire, belief and professionalism of the group?

Yes. It is the type of group that is always required here at Celtic. Celtic's culture is based very much on humility and hard work and being in an environment that allows you to grow and develop. Both of those players epitomise that. They are very humble guys and they get on with their work and have real professionalism in their approach to their work. That's what allows you to get back.

It's Hearts this weekend. The last game against them was eventful for all sorts of reasons. This week it has been confirmed that a couple of decisions from that game were incorrect. What is your reaction to that?

Listen, my feeling at the time was that they weren't correct. It just confirms a few months later where we were at. It's gone. We served our punishment and didn't get the result and now we move on like we did back then.

Does it help to have the SFA after the event to pinpoint areas where there have been mistakes? Is that helpful in the raw processes as VAR beds in?

I think transparency is important, for sure. It also shows courage for them as well to come out and disclose that. That level of transparency and reflection will always help the game. I always think resources will help the game and help support the referees with the best technology and education that there possibly can be. That will also help. I think for them to come out and do that you have to say well done to them but it doesn't change anything from my perspective.

Are you hoping for a less controversial game this time with certainly a different outcome?

I won't get bogged down in the last two games that we have had against them. One at home and one away. To me, this is very much about ourselves and our focus. Hearts have done well and we played a really good game against them earlier on in the season, for various reasons the other two games have not been so good. This is us at home now in the final stretch of the season super-motivated and hungry to play well. If we can do that then we want to be able to pick up all three points.

Do you feel that Hearts are facing a different Celtic from the one they played in the previous two meetings?

I think just circumstances dictate that.  We never turned up in the game we lost at home. We were nowhere near the tempo and the level that we would want to be at coming at the back end of a Champions League week. We had enough of the ball but we didn't give away too much apart from the corner and the free-kick that they scored from. We gave away virtually nothing in the game. It was just that our attacking play and tempo were too slow and we did not cause them enough problems. In the last game, we started well and the sending-off and penalty changed the game, of course, but my players kept going and obviously, circumstances within the game meant that the result wasn't for us. I'd expect us to be on a more similar level to what we were earlier in the season.

You focus on yourselves, but in terms of hearts, they’ve had two wins over you this season. Have you been impressed by them this season under Steven Naismith?

He’s done very well. I expect Hearts to be up there due to the size of the club and what they’ve done in their history up here in Scotland. It’s not a surprise for me that they’re up there, but also for Steven coming in, in his first managerial job and the pressure of leading a club up there. I think he’s done very well.

Three out of four matches are at home in this final run-in. Just how big of a part will the Celtic fans play in determining where this title will go?

They play a huge part. I think that has been the difference over the last few months - how everything has been connected. They, along with ourselves and the staff are a connection to the team and an extension of what we see on the field. The support they give to the team is unrivalled when everyone’s onside. To have that in three of the last four games at home will be special. We’ll need that patience as well because teams are not going to turn up and roll over, we have to be patient in the stands as well as on the field. We’ll be looking to play our game at the right speed and tempo and look to cause difficult moments for the opponents. To play at home on the pitch with the crowd, hopefully, we can take that advantage with us. 

You mentioned that this point of the season is where the club come alive. For you personally, how much do you relish these next four games and working with the squad and building what could be a successful and crucial month to come?

It’s a very important month. May is always important because that’s when trophies are given out if you’re in this sort of fight and in this sort of battle. I really enjoy it. It’s a great part of the season, but you have to remain focused and concentrated. It’s great for the support to dream and be there with it being so tight, but we really have to focus on our job on the field. If we can do that, then we can have a really good finish to the season. 

You play before Rangers with a chance to go six points clear. In your experiences both here and down south, does going first and putting points on the board and put pressure on your opponents and can that be an advantage?

I can sit here and lie and say no. The scoreboard pressure is always there. It doesn’t count for anything if you don’t do the job, though. I think that if you’re playing second, you’ll know the other teams’ result, but primarily you have to focus on yourself. It can certainly add weight, especially at this time of the season. 

You’ve got a stronger squad than earlier this season. Do you sense that some individuals are peaking at the right time as well and that it will help you over the next few weeks?

My focus is on the team. I need the team to peak, and of course, the players have gained fitness. This is the first time that we’ve had a clean bill of health with everyone available. Every professional is out training with the squad, which is brilliant. Ultimately it is about the team. The individual players, of course, some have got up to speed with fitness which is brilliant, but it’s how we function as a team which will determine where we finish.

Liam Scales got a new contract this week. Are you pleased to get that done, with his progression this season?

Yeah, I’m delighted. He’s been a real stalwart for us this season and he’s played a lot of games and minutes. I think he alongside Matt O’Riley have played the most football for us on the field. For him, when a lot of the players were breaking down earlier on in the season or were out injured, he was the one guy who was there for us the whole time. I’m absolutely delighted for him because last summer it was really in doubt where he was going to be and play. Hopefully, he can end this season as a winner and an international football player. It’s a great reward for his work over the course of the season.

Greg Taylor is going into the last year of his contract. Is he a no-brainer for a contract?

I’d love to keep Greg here. It’s something that we’ve spoken about. It’s up to the club and the agent to try and resolve. In the meantime, his focus is on us and the team. I really like him as a person, he’s very hungry and committed. He’s sacrificed a lot and he’s very professional. That’s the type of people that you want here. Hopefully, that can be something that is resolved.

Callum McGregor managed an hour last week at Dens Park. Is it just careful management at this stage of the season?

I think it’s just the case of trying to get him as near a level to where he can be at. We’ve been managing him, but I saw a difference in him this week. He’d been doing a lot of work over the last couple of weeks on the strength of his Achilles, which actually left him a little bit leggy in the games. We’ve cut a lot of that out this week, because he’s had to strengthen that area with the issues that he’s had. He looks a lot lighter on his feet and fresher. He’s not quite there to where he was earlier on this season but he’s certainly in a much better place. It’s just been that management.

You were talking about the connection with everybody right now, has there been a catalyst for that? Has it been players coming back to fitness, things clicking or is it just things happening at a certain stage of the season - can you put your finger on it?

I think everyone is now focused on football. We felt a lot of distractions in the first six months of the season, in various ways. But I think once the focus has come into football and everyone really being together with that then that makes a huge difference. The players feel that. The extension to the team, staff supporters, everyone - this is such an incredible fan base here - and when they get behind the team as what we've seen the last few months then you see the strength of that unity of everyone moving forward. For me, looking at it from a managerial perspective has been the real catalyst and hopefully, we can continue that way."

Is the unity as strong as you have felt it since you came back to Celtic?

Yeah. I think there was a lot of settling in, probably a lot of adjustment with me coming back and how long is he going to be here and obviously Ange leaving as well. With Ange they had a couple of successful seasons so you lose one manager, another manager comes in that maybe some people don't want in and...so there's all that settling going on and then obviously the principle difference in performances being the unavailability of players, that has been the main difference at times when the team hasn't played at the tempo or style because we have missed players that have a dynamism and give a directness to the team. I think all of that thrown into the pot made it a little bit, I felt, fragmented. But as time has gone on and everything has settled and the team has picked up important results and some really good performances and now we are getting to the stage where we are now all coming together. Yeah, I would say this feels the most settled of everything since I've been here.

When you first came in you spoke about Stuart Armstong perhaps not being internal to your vision at Celtic but he forced his way into the team by adopting your message and what you were trying to implement - Liam Scales feels like that player of the new age - perhaps not in the immediate plans, he's listened to what you have tried to bring to Celtic and here we are at the end of the season he has got a new deal and four years to look forward to...

Yeah, I think that's ultimately where my strengths lie, in terms of trying to make people better and improve them as players. To see him and the confidence he has played with throughout this season in some big games for us and performed absolutely fantastic. My first time back there were a number of those players who maybe weren't quite in the starting 11 but we worked with them and talked with them and gave them confidence and then they had to perform. Stu as an example was a brilliant player for me here, his dynamism, everything was amazing. Liam is maybe one of those of this version but really, really pleased for him because he loves being here, he's dug us out of a hole for a lot of this season when we have had lots of inconsistencies in that position. I am delighted for him that he feels rewarded for that.

In terms of dealing with the pressures at this point of the season has your man-management approach changed over time - either a personal maturity in terms of being further into your career or a collective basis in your first time dealing with this group of players pushing towards this high-pressure spell of the season?

I have really enjoyed it. The game - as we all know - has a bit of pressure all at different levels - [it's] how you deal with that and how you take that and for me I am comfortable in this environment and this pressure situation. For me, my job is to decrease the pressure on the players. It's something that I have always done especially at the biggest clubs because there is so much pressure on these guys, from a variety of places. I don't want to add to that. My job is to regulate the pressure for them to let them feel confident in how they play and to manage their mood and make sure that it's always positive and ready to go and play as best they possibly can.