Q: Brendan, tomorrow night’s going to be new for everyone with this new format. How do you approach the game? Is it the kind of game, given that you’ve already qualified, that you go all out for three points at any cost to try and climb the table and perhaps give yourself a more favourable draw? Or will it be a more measured away performance, like we’ve seen from you this season? Because a point could go a long way as well.
Brendan Rodgers: “Listen, it’s like what we’ve done in a lot of our games. We set out to win the game. There’ll be moments when we have to adapt in the game, of course, to their qualities and how we defend. But certainly then, when we have the ball, we want to be able to play well. Because the better we are on attack, then the less you have to defend in the game. So, for us, it’s always about the balance in our game. We set out to want to go and win the game and we’ll look to attack the game. As I said, our job is done in terms of getting into the 24, but it’s certainly not complete. This is the last of the group stage games. It’s a beautiful pitch, it’s a great arena, so we want to come and play to the best level that we can.”
Q: Do you think you’ll be looking elsewhere tomorrow night?
Brendan Rodgers: “No. Just focus on the game and then see what you’ve got full-time? Well, to be honest, it will be very, very difficult to do anything other than concentrate on the game. I won’t have a telly in my pocket or anything. I think if you’re at home watching all those games and scores, I think it’ll be great for you and all the teams playing at the same time and all the various permutations. But us as football managers and coaches, we’ll be focused on the game.”
Kieran Tierney with the Scottish Premiership Trophy. Photo Geo: The Celtic Star
Q: Brendan, just to go back to what you were saying about Tierney, that’s the first time you’ve actually said that you will be coming back. That’s a huge thing for Celtic, for the fans. Do you think there is a chance it can happen this month?
Brendan Rodgers: “I don’t know. I think that, like I said, we prepared that for the summer. I don’t want to speak too much on it, with the greatest respect, because he’s not a Celtic player here now with us. But if we were able to do it, of course, we would like to do that. But that’s out of our control at this moment in time.”
Q: Brendan, we sometimes get the feeling that Scottish football is looked down on a wee bit or questioned in England. Is a game like tomorrow night a chance to prove the quality that your own team has and the game in general in the SPFL?
Brendan Rodgers: “I think that the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world. It’s where lots of top players are, lots of top managers are. But it’s not the only league in the world. I think that there were options for me to stay in the Premier League. My choice was to go to Scotland, to Celtic. And I’m so happy that I did. OK, the competition might not be the same as what it is in the Premier League, but there’s not many teams in the Premier League that rival the pressure that comes with managing a Celtic or Rangers for that matter. But there’s always an opportunity, whether you’re playing in England or playing in Italy or France, wherever you’re playing, there’s always the opportunity for you to show your qualities as a team and as a club.”
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