“This feels like the most ready I’ve been as a Celtic manager,” Brendan Rodgers

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·17. September 2024

“This feels like the most ready I’ve been as a Celtic manager,” Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers eulogised over Celtic’s preparation for tomorrow’s huge Champions League opener with Slovakian title-holders Slovan Bratislava.

Brendan Rodgers during a training session at Lennoxtown on Tuesday September 17, 2024. Photo: Andrew Milligan

“This feels like the most ready I’ve been as a Celtic manager going into a Champions League campaign,” Brendan Rodgers…

In previous seasons, Celtic’s opening fixture in the Champions League has proven to come around too soon. See last season where Celtic’s dismal recruitment coupled with several injuries culminated in a 2-0 defeat to Feyenoord in Rotterdam.

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However, this season Rodgers was emphatic that preparation for such a big game has never been better, “this is the most ready I have been as Celtic manager coming into a Champions League campaign,” the Celtic manager said at today’s media conference inside the Number 7 Restaurant at Celtic Park, which I attended on behalf of The Celtic Star.

Admitting that Celtic must learn from their mistakes which cost the side to finish bottom of the group on four points last campaign, Brendan Rodgers admitted it is fine margins at Champions League level, “I thought last year it was decisive moments. We arrive into it having learned from last season, and knowing at this level, it is about the small details. Apart from Madrid away, a team who got to the quarter-final of the competition, the other games we showed up in.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers during a training session at Lennoxtown Training Centre on Tuesday September 17, 2024. Photo: Andrew Milligan

It is 12 years since Celtic last made the knockout stages of the Champions League and there is no doubt that the target for Rodgers and his squad is to be in the top 24 come January.

On setting targets, Rodgers outlined, “I think our intention firstly is to reach the play-off. If you look at the teams that go through then over the course of the eight games, I think you’re really looking to reach the play-off phase. That would certainly be the objective that I would set first and foremost and then from there you can gauge it.”

Should Celtic make the play-offs it would mean playing double digit games in European football for the first time since the Seville season back in 2002/2003. This is unfamiliar territory for the Hoops. Getting off to a healthy start and winning the competitive home games would be instrumental in securing a whopping amount of cash and a chance to progress into the Last 16.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers during a training session at Lennoxtown Training Centre on Tuesday September 17, 2024. Photo: Andrew Milligan

On the topic for more games, Rodgers was understanding of Manchester City midfielder Rodri’s annoyance at having more fixtures on the calendar, “football is heading towards a 12-month season.” He continued, “we will hopefully go deep in this competition, but you have international games, I understand where he is coming from. It is about the quality, and what we always want is the best product for the supporters. It is a natural concern.”

Despite being favourites for the game tomorrow evening, the Celtic manager says he is not feeling the pressure going into such a massive game, “we cope with pressure every week. That is what being a Celtic player or Celtic manager is. We thought about what we wanted to achieve in the summer. We go into this game, we are at home, and we want to start off with a really good performance and three points.”

As we approach tomorrow’s encounter with Slovan Bratislava, Brendan Rodgers was clearly bullish in his presser today. He has every right to be after Celtic’s electric start domestically. It is about taking that domestic quality into our European campaign, something that for many years has faltered despite our best efforts.

It is time to change that with a victory and there is great confidence in the Celtic camp that this can be achieved tomorrow evening. Bet you can’t wait!

Conor Spence

Watch the Brendan Rodgers Media Conference ahead of Celtic’s Champions League opener at Celtic Park tomorrow night below…

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