Brendan Rodgers: Time to put the trophy head on

Celtic F.C.

·26 April 2024

Brendan Rodgers: Time to put the trophy head on

The title run-in starts this weekend with the commencement of the post-split fixtures as the Hoops travel to Tayside to take on Dundee.

Hoops manager, Brendan Rodgers, his backroom staff and players have been focused on this game since last weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Aberdeen, even though they now know that only five league games and a Scottish Cup final stand between them and the double.

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The immediate attention, though, is completely on Sunday’s game against Tony Docherty’s side as the teams face up to each other for the fourth time this season

In the Celts’ previous three games against the Dens Park side this term, the first two home and away ties registered 3-0 victories for the Hoops before a blistering display at Celtic Park in February delivered a sterling 7-1 win.

Indeed, you have to go back to the club’s centenary year and September 24, 1988, or all of 34 games ago in all competitions, to find the last time Celtic lost at Dens Park, although there were seven draws between the sides at the ground in those 36 years.

However, previous results, neither historical nor contemporary, will have no bearing on Celtic’s approach to this Sunday’s game, as the manager has reiterated the mantra that every respect will be given to every opposition.

And that respect for Dundee was in place before their draw with Rangers in their last league outing.

The Irishman said: “I think they’ve had good results right the way through the season. I think Tony’s done a brilliant job, him and his staff.

“There are stronger squads I’m sure in the league that will feel they could have made the top six, but I think the likes of Tony and what he’s done, what the likes of Stephen Robinson has done at St Mirren, Derek (McInnes) at Kilmarnock, they’ve really shown their coaching and managerial qualities.

“In particular, Tony coming through in his first season in the Premiership as a manager, the job he’s done is absolutely brilliant.

“So I expect them to play how they’ve played all season, which is with a collective spirit. They work very, very hard for each other and give any team a problem.

“We’ve played really well against Dundee this season, but it’s no guarantee of anything.

“It only guarantees that we have to be focused, and if we have that focus and mentality and show the ambition in the game from the first whistle, then it gives us the opportunity to get the three points.”

A tad more than points were at stake last weekend as it was winner-takes-all with a place in the Scottish Cup final up for grabs in the semi with Aberdeen.

The manager said: “It was a really good feeling to get through. The standard of our performance wasn’t what I would have liked, but sometimes in life it’s really important to overcome situations, and obviously we achieved the goal which was to get to the final.

“But we also had to overcome lots within the game. So the players did absolutely brilliant to get through that, and show that nerve and mind-set right at the very end and now we see ourselves in the final which is great

“But now we’ve got to shift the mind-set to the league, and that’s where our concentration is.

‘This is the period where you’ve got to get your trophy head on, and you get your focus on what it takes to become a champion.’

“The players here are well-versed in that. They understand the mind-set, they understand the psychological traits that are needed at this stage.

“Physically, you’ve done a lot of your work – you might have one or two players that are looking to get back in or up to speed – but in the main it’s all psychological now, and this is the part of the season where the team have been, very, very good, and this club have been exceptional.

“But you have to do it and that’s that’ll be our focus, each game at a time now, starting at Dundee.”