“He was big, strong, powerful,” Brendan Rodgers praises Auston Trusty | OneFootball

Brendan Rodgers was particularly excoriating of Celtic’s defence in the aftermath of our 3-3 result with Dundee at Dens Park on Tuesday night…

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers iat full time during the Scottish Cup Fourth Round match between Celtic and Kilmarnock at Celtic Park on January 18, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The Irishman was not impressed and mad with be known to his defenders and USA international Auston Trusty especially, that weakness in the duel would not be tolerated at Celtic Park at any time.

Red faced

Dundee’s third goal. Dens Park, Dundee v Celtic. 14th January 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

It was a harsh lesson for the former Sheffield United man to learn as he was given a nightmare by the physical presence of Simon Murray all night and then conceded a late third goal to young Aaron Donnelly, which left him red faced and not knowing which way to look. It’s a facet to the game in Scotland that you must be able and willing to commit to the more physical and unattractive side of the game and away from home specifically.

Teams will be relentless in the pursuit of goals from set-pieces and will be more than willing to mix it up. Trusty was not the only one who was pretty weak that night but it was his inability which ultimately cost us big time. Rodgers spoke to the centre-half about it and told him that a line had been drawn under the matter. Tonight Rodgers was full of praise for Auston Trusty and was mightily pleased with his performance in what could have been a tricky encounter.

‘You’ve got to stand up and be strong’

After the match in his media conference, Rodgers said: “I talked about Auston the other night but you see his response today – I thought it was excellent. He was big, strong, powerful – and that’s what we expect from a Celtic centre-half. Did he have a point to prove? Listen, a lot of the time at Celtic, you may not have so much to do as a defender, especially at home. I always think you get your chance to shine away from home, where you’ve got to stand up and be strong. That’s your bread and butter.’

‘I thought he was brilliant today’

“I thought he was brilliant today. I’m really pleased for him and the team because that was a really good win. The scoreline probably doesn’t reflect our dominance in the game. I spoke to Auston after the game on Tuesday and the next day. We draw a line under it and he knows exactly where he stands. These are men, they’re not little boys. So you can talk openly and honestly to them, that’s what every player will tell you.”

‘His response was excellent’

He added: “His response was excellent, he was good in training and you could see his focus. That’s what I expect because in the big games, like against Leipzig and Atalanta, he’s been colossal for us. But if you’re going to have consistency, the level has got to be up there.”

Paul Gillespie

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