What Brendan Rodgers said in the Falkirk dressing room after cup-tie | OneFootball

Brendan Rodgers explained why he went into the Falkirk dressing room and revealed what he said to John McGlynn’s players after their impressive performance at Celtic Park against the Scottish Champions…

Nicolas Kuhn celebrates scoring to give Celtic a 4-2 lead. Celtic v Falkirk, Premier Sports Cup, Quarter Final,  Celtic Park, , 22 September 2024. Photo:Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

The Bairns showed no fear and took the game to Celtic, earning a 2-1 interval lead before Celtic’s quality from the bench turned the game around to give Celtic a 5-2 victory…

Q: Is that the toughest test you have had so far this season?

Brendan Rodgers: “I thought Falkirk were excellent. I was expecting it to be fair and it is why I tried to freshen the team up. They had good energy, they moved the ball well and they worked us.

“It was a little bit disconnected for the first 60 minutes and that is on me. It is not on the players when you make eight changes like that. I wanted to get some players in and get that feeling of playing in this stadium and getting them minutes and playing in the team.

Nicolas Kuhn celebrates with Paulo Bernardo, Arne Engels & Adam Idah after scoring to give Celtic a 4-2 lead. Celtic v Falkirk, Premier Sports Cup, Quarter Final, Celtic Park, 22 Sep 2024. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

“In some moments we looked good and in some others there was hesitancy and that comes from not playing so much. We knew we always had the bench to throw players on, especially in the last 30 minutes. Falkirk put so much into the game and their energy maybe got sapped a wee bit.

“We put some speed, tempo and rhythm into the game and by the end we were very good. Huge credit to John (McGlynn), his staff and his players. I had real joy analysing them, how they play and how they commit to attacking football. I hope they can go on and get promoted because they play a fantastic style.”

Q: Is that a reminder to some players who haven’t been at the club that it is a real juggling act with Champions League and domestic football?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, I think it is especially when you come off a high moment. Being a Celtic player is all about the attitude. The attitude of the next game. I can’t fault the attitude of the players and the ones that have played in the first period. The attitude was great, there was just a little bit of disconnection there that was totally natural.

“It shows you then that the attitude to finish the game the way they did was superb. You are playing a League Cup quarter-final which is the third game in a week which has been great for us. We have played in the Champions League and we are scoring goals, playing attacking football and being creative. We finished it off with a team that we were going to need energy against because they played very well.”

Q: Was that the toughest game of the season so far?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, I told John that afterwards. You can see the confidence they have from getting promoted. They have come into this season and won five out of five and they are playing well and they trust their ability. They have got some players with a good profile in key areas.

“They have wingers who are fast and they have good technicians in the midfield who want to take the ball. The goalkeeper wants to build the game so they come through the phases well. They scored two good goals.

“The first goal comes from the fact that normally our line would be up and be connected but we were a fraction deeper which allowed the striker to get a shot in and it was a really good finish. The second goal was just before half-time and the guy finished it well. We were a bit soft in the far corner and they ended up crossing the ball over and the guy scored it well.

“I said to them at half-time that we had work to do. I have real confidence in this group of players that they have that mentality and the resilience that when they are suffering in the game they can pull themselves through and by the end, they were very good.”

Q: Nicolas Kuhn with two goals and two assists, made a great impact didn’t he?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, he was the man of the match in 30 minutes which is quite nice. He was fantastic when he came into the game. He is developing into a really good player. He has been effective and it was his press without the ball that led to the third goal.

“He was there to win the ball from the full-back after setting up the equaliser and helped us get the third. His two finishes are two different types and one was a good strike into the bottom corner. For the other one he had time to think so does he take it around the goalkeeper or does he dink it? He finished it really well. It is what we want from our attacking players. We want them to create goals and score goals and he did that.”

Q: How do you view juggling the Champions League and domestic scene by not making too many changes from game to game?

Brendan Rodgers: “That is the most changes I will ever make. Normally I would make one change per line. The back line or the midfield or front line. If you look at my history as a coach I wouldn’t normally make so many but that’s the risk you take. I was happy to take the risk.

“The players have worked really hard and they’ll benefit from that. Alex Valle played an hour, Auston Trusty played 90 minutes, Stephen Welsh got game time, Tony Ralston came in and played and Luis Palma got some game time. You always weigh it up but it worked out well for us in the end.”

Q: How do you assess Trusty and Valle’s performances?

Brendan Rodgers: “They’re coming into a complex system and that’s why we didn’t throw them in straight away – they’ve come in with hardly any training. Now they’re up to speed a little bit and they understand how we want to work, how we play and the movement patterns. I thought it was a good game to introduce them to.”

Q: Was that a crash course in the physicality of Scottish football for Valle?

Brendan Rodgers: “100 per cent. You might get that in Spain, but you won’t get that in Britain unless it’s a foul. He’ll learn that – he’s a good kid and he’s only young. He’s settled in really well into the city and the club. He’s there for us when he’s needed.”

Q: Are you looking forward to facing Aberdeen after getting them in the draw?

Brendan Rodgers:“Very much so. It’s always important to get there, and I have a good feeling about us on that big pitch. Aberdeen have clearly started the season very well in terms of results. I haven’t seen them so much in terms of performance and how they play and shape up – we’ll do that nearer the time. We play them just after the international break then we’ll play them again in the cup. When you get to the semi-final stage, you’ll be up against good teams and you’ve got to do your work. We’ll look forward to that when it comes.”

Q: You said pre-match that Carter-Vickers and Johnston had injuries. How are they for next weekend’s game?

Brendan Rodgers: “We’ll see with Cameron. He has been suffering a wee bit with his metatarsal and his big toe. We gave it a little period a few weeks back and he was okay. It’s got a little bit sore – playing back-to-back games – which is why we’ve given him today free. We’ll just assess that later in the week. Alistair will be fine, he just had a bit of an issue around his back and had an injection, which meant he would miss this game. He’ll train Tuesday-Wednesday and be absolutely fine.”

Q: Did Falkirk’s performance teach other Scottish teams how they should play against Celtic?

Brendan Rodgers: “It’s all mindset. John and his staff clearly have that mindset to play attacking, aggressive football. You see the rewards of that. It’s okay saying it, but you have to believe in it, and when you’re stood on the side of a pitch when the pressure is on, that’s when you believe in it.

“I just think he left Celtic and did the same thing at Raith, and played an attacking style of football – one that he did really well with them. He’s gone into Falkirk and you can see the confidence they have surrounding the way they play. They came here to play with no fear, which was fantastic. It’s hard to tell people how to play, you have to believe in it and train it. There’s no right or wrong way, but certainly, I think the supporters enjoy watching cracking games of football – seven goals today.”

Q: John mentioned that you went into the Falkirk dressing room. What did you say?

Brendan Rodgers: “It was just to wish them all the best and congratulate them on their performance. Sometimes at 5-2, you can be disappointed. Playing at Celtic Park can be a daunting experience for a player, so I reinforced the point and wished them all the very best for the rest of the season. If they stick to their principles, then I’m pretty sure they’ll be back in the Scottish Premiership again. It was no more than offering them congratulations.”

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