Brendan Rodgers: Sligo Rovers test offered us a good exercise

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Celtic F.C.

·10 October 2024

Brendan Rodgers: Sligo Rovers test offered us a good exercise

It was a successful run out in Ireland for Brendan Rodgers and his squad as the Bhoys delivered a late comeback victory over Sligo Rovers on Wednesday evening.

Making the trip over to The Showgrounds, the match offered those not on international duty the opportunity for some minutes in the legs during the current break.

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And it proved to be a valuable exercise for the Hoops, running out 3-2 winners with a mix of senior and Academy players as Luis Palma’s hat-trick sealed victory in Ireland.

Speaking to Celtic TV after the match, Brendan Rodgers was pleased with the test which the League of Ireland side offered his squad as he reflected on the win.

The energy levels of the Celts proved too much in the second half, and the Celtic manager was pleased that a number of members of his squad could get some valuable minutes in the legs during the trip to Sligo.

He said: “It was a really good exercise for us, and a lot of or senior players got 90 minutes in, which was great.

“The second half was much better than the first. It was a better tempo and better rhythm, there was more speed in our game. So, we were very good in the second half.

'It’s excellent for us to be able to come out to Ireland. You see with Sligo, it was a great little test for us in how they played and worked.'

“You can see why Sligo are a top-six team in the League of Ireland. They’ll be fighting for European football, and are at a good level of fitness.

“They passed the ball well, and with confidence. They moved it well. So, that was a real good test, especially for some of our boys who haven’t played for a little bit of time.

“But as the game went on, we were just a bit more aggressive in the game. We pushed into higher starting positions and that allowed us to attack a lot more. You seen that a lot of the second half.”

Following Thursday’s trip to Ireland, the Bhoys now have some time to rest and recuperate during the international break.

Quickly on the horizon though is an extremely exciting domestic clash against Aberdeen, with first taking on second at Celtic Park on Saturday, October 19.

Rodgers believes that the brief break will also prove valuable for his side following a very busy period of games over the last few weeks.

“We’ve got a little bit of rest now,” he said. “But obviously we are planning ahead for that really exciting game against Aberdeen.