“The players have been absolutely brilliant up until this point, I can’t complain,” Brendan Rodgers | OneFootball

“The players have been absolutely brilliant up until this point, I can’t complain,” Brendan Rodgers said after Celtic were held to a goalless draw with Dundee United putting in a resolute backs to the wall performance…

Brendan Rodgers speaks to the media at Tannadice, Dundee Utd v Celtic, Sunday 22 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Afterwards the Celtic manager spoke to the Media at Tannadice and also spoke to Sky Sports and Celtic TV. Here’s everything that was said…

Tannadice, Dundee Utd v Celtic, Sunday 22 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Can you give us your take on that performance from your team today?

Brendan Rodgers: “I thought we’d obviously had enough of the ball, I think the only thing that was missing was that clinical edge in the final third of the pitch. We arrived into the areas that we wanted to, often enough. The first half we never hit the target, anywhere near, we never made the keeper work. The second half, I’ll give credit to Dundee United because they defended well, but we still arrived into all the areas that we wanted to, but we just couldn’t quite make the breakthrough. We had good chances, I feel, to do that. So the longer the game goes on, you don’t score, then it gives the opponent that wee bit of motivation, but to be fair to the players, they kept going, kept fighting. My only downside today was we didn’t get the goals, so that’s what wins you games.”

Celtic supporters in festive spirits at Tannadice, Dundee Utd v Celtic, Sunday 22 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: You had a few changes in the team, some of them due to flu in the pre-match, do you feel that that affected the rhythm at all or is it just, as you say, in the final third, you couldn’t convert those chances?

Brendan Rodgers: “I thought that Stephen Welsh coming in, he was excellent, considering he hasn’t played for so long, him and Liam Scales. We controlled most aspects of the game. Like you say, we had Nicolas Kuhn out, who’s been in real good form for us, and Alistair Johnston. We can’t use it as an excuse. Some of our play, getting through the pitch and into the areas, we ha 70-80% of the ball, so we had a lot of possession. It was in the final third of the pitch, that was the only downside to the game. We didn’t have too much to worry about the other way, a couple of corners at the end, but otherwise, we expect to take opportunities to score.”

Reo Hatate goes close at Tannadice, Dundee Utd v Celtic, Sunday 22 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Do you have an update on the absentees?

Brendan Rodgers: “Well, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty were ill. Ali should be back for Thursday, just to recover him. He felt a bit sore, he’d done really well to play in the final and then has been sore after that. Nicholas Kuhn was a bit tentative with his knee, so we didn’t want to risk that. James Forrest is obviously out for the period that he is, so otherwise, we’re all hopeful.”

John Kennedy and Brendan Rodgers at Tannadice, Dundee Utd v Celtic, Sunday 22 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Will Nicholas Kuhn be out for a little bit longer then?

Brendan Rodgers: “I don’t know, hopefully not. He hadn’t trained all week and then he was out on Friday. He was outside on the grass, but he just felt a little twinge yesterday in his knee, so we’re hoping that’s not going to be long-term.”

Q: For Boxing Day, do you think Nicholas is going to be able to recover?

Brendan Rodgers:  “I’ll find out tomorrow, we’ll be in tomorrow and I’ll see how he’s at. He’s running okay, he’s moving okay, just a slight twinge when he passed the ball with a slight pain, so we’re hoping that he’ll be okay for Thursday.”

Kasper Schmeichel and Brendan Rodgers at Tannadice, Dundee Utd v Celtic, Sunday 22 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Not a lot of time obviously, Brendan, before the next game. What do you do with your players in the meantime, just rest them?

Brendan Rodgers:  “Well, we’re in and recovering and training. Obviously, in football, you don’t stop, you keep going and preparing and getting ready. So, yes, we just get on with normal life.”

Kyogo is disappointed after the 0-0 draw at at Tannadice, Dundee Utd v Celtic, Sunday 22 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: It’s only the second time you’ve dropped points this season, Brendan. You’ll be disappointed, but it’s not been the worst start to a campaign really, has it?

Brendan Rodgers:  “No, I think obviously the expectation that we put on ourselves is to win every single game. The players have been absolutely brilliant up until this point. I can’t complain. Today, it’s a mixture of our own fault really. We have to do better in that area of the pitch, but also give credit to Dundee United. I thought their team defended well, they were resolute, they made blocks, but I think it was more us really. We either didn’t arrive in the areas for crosses or we didn’t hit the target. So, that was my only complaint. Otherwise, the players have been absolutely fantastic. They play with a big personality in the game, big expectations to win every game and this has been constant for them. They’ve been playing to a really good level. So, we just, as I said, we look to our next game now to get the points. We’ve got two great games now close together, so we’ll aim to take maximum points there.”

Brendan also spoke to Celtic TV after today’s goalless draw at Tannadice, which you can watch below…

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