Kyogo opens the scoring against Ross County in Dingwall. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
Q: Is it something you may want to try more often to try and play Kyogo and Adam in the same system together?
Brendan Rodgers: “I may do. I may not, I think it just depends. I normally play with wingers. It’s how I’ve always sort of worked that way. Kyogo rolls inside very well, and the shape just morphs into a different structure but it’s something that we can do. I think it’s having the flexibility. I’ve never been fixed to one system. I have been fixed to one style. The style will always be the same and the principles, but the actual system, I’ve always been flexible with how the teams have played. So this gave us a nice little conundrum with the team short of wingers. Okay, so how can we make it work? The players made it work well.”
Kyogo scores to make it 2-1. Ross County v Celtic in Dingwall. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
Q: Do you always enjoy that side of it when there is a conundrum and you need to think about things and how you do it? Do you enjoy that element of it and days like Saturday when it comes off?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, I think that’s the beauty of it. I think that it’s improvement and that constant improvement and development, that gives you the enthusiasm for it. Okay, so we haven’t got that. So how are we going to adapt? My first look is obviously for younger players, as there’s someone younger who can come into the position, that there’s not really. Okay, we need to shape it slightly differently. So what can that look like? That’s what I’ve done a few times in my career, at a few different clubs, and you rely also clearly on the players’ intelligence and the football ideas that they have. In the main, I thought it worked well for us, and that side of it clearly, I enjoy it.”
Ross County v Celtic in Dingwall. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
Q: I’m thinking the lead-up to the season you had marked Rocco Vata, as a young third-choice striker to come in and develop. Is Jonny Kenny showing all the right signs after coming back from his loan spell that he could occupy that role now?
Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, well, I was delighted for Johnny. Obviously, young players come in before, had to go away, and I hadn’t seen him before. Coming back in and speaking to the guys, yeah, he looked a bit stronger than he was before. The one thing that I love about young players is their enthusiasm because, with enthusiasm, there’s no expectation. They just come and play, and they come and run, and that’s what he gave us when he came into the pitch. You know, sometimes the older players, I would say the same thing to an older player. Just as long as you’ve been taking enthusiasm for the game, then, you know, you just go and play. Johnny did that when he committed the game straight away. He’s contacted, he’s touched the ball, he’s good, he’s on the move. You know, the last goal is there, thereabouts, that creates the chaos in the box, and we finish well. So he’s come in, he’s only been in just over a week. We’ll continue to monitor him, he’ll be around it, and then it’s the next decision.”
Johnny Kenny doing his Celtic debut. Ross County v Celtic in Dingwall. Photo Vagelis Georgariou
Q: Is he going to stay and be apart, or does he still need more game time out on loan?
Brendan Rodgers: “At this moment, I’ve been pleased. He showed a wonderful enthusiasm for football and work, and he’s done well. I can already see from 25 yards in, he’s a good finisher.”
