Adam Idah in action on Saturday. Ross County v Celtic in Dingwall. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
Q: What you said about attacking players coming in and trying to force it. Is that a similar thing for Adam Idah at the moment? Is it a cliche to say the big man needs a few games to get going? Do you sense he’s getting that rhythm back after two or three starts in a row?
Brendan Rodgers: “I thought, again, Adam did well at the weekend. He didn’t get his goal. I think some players are better at rhythm and playing. There are certain positions that you have to produce. That’s the reality of it but I was pleased with his contribution. I don’t need my striker to score 40 goals. If you look at any of my teams, the goals are always spread out. What I need is for the players to be intense and to be aggressive. There were some great moments for him at the weekend. He didn’t get his goal, but he was there. He had vital contributions, setting up the game for us, and allowing other players to attack the space, and he’s working very, very hard at him. I just think it’s one of those things. It will drop for him at some point. If you’re scoring four goals and your striker’s not scoring, then you will take that.”
Adam Idah of Celtic and Dundee United’s Ross Graham during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Dundee United at Celtic Park, on 8th January 2025. Picture by Mark Runnacles
Q: Is that something you speak to him about as well? Strikers love scoring goals. Has it affected him, maybe that kind of thing?
Brendan Rodgers: “No, I don’t believe so. I think his own personal self and self-pride, you want to score goals as a striker. That’s why you’re there, to create goals and score goals. For me, as long as I’m seeing the work rate and the intensity and the mentality, then I’m really happy with that. Knowing that the goal-scoring burden doesn’t go to one player, it has to go to the whole team. As long as the team are working well, then that makes me happy. For him, he’s working well. He’s been unfortunate. He was sort of near post, and he had a couple of other wee moments but the goals will come from that. He’s shown that he can score goals.”
Q: Is he a good player to have at this time of year as well? It gives you different options as the pitches aren’t that great and sometimes the game is slightly different as well, and you are also carrying a few injuries. Is Adam a good option to have at this time of the year?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, yeah. Very good, I think. I think he’s a player who like you saw against Atlanta when you have to go over the top and pressure or whether it’s a surface we still always try and play on a difficult surface, but he gives you that possibility. He’s a really good reference for the team. He can still run in behind, and he’s good in the box. Having that different type of striker is fantastic for us. As you saw with Kyogo at the weekend, his movement for the first goal is, well, just the number of runs he makes to make sure he stays onside. Just the timing, the cleverness, and then obviously the finish. So to have strikers like that that can give you different possibilities. It’s very useful within your squad”
