Brendan Rodgers admits Celtic 'lacked quality' but lack of incisiveness draws positive viewpoint
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers admitted that his side could've fared better against Dinamo Zagreb as they were held to a 0-0 draw in Croatia - but by stating his frustrations, the Hoops gaffer noted just how far his side had come for him to be annoyed.
The Scottish Premiership champions boasted the majority of the ball and had most of the clear openings at the Stadion Maksimir, but they couldn't make their dominance count. And despite a draw, they are edging ever closer to a play-off place in the Champions League - which Rodgers believe will spur them on for better things in the future.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, the Northern Irish gaffer wasn't happy with his side going forward - but his words were used as constructive criticism by showing just how far his side had come. He said: "That's my honest answer on it, yes, we needed to do more. It was an opportunity for us but you have to show a little bit more in those moments.
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"The positive is we've come away from the game defensively strong and didn't concede. I thought we lacked quality in the final third. The pitch was a little bit tricky. We had great energy, good commitment. In the Champions League, if you get a clean sheet and take a point away from home and you're not very happy, that shows how the team has progressed.
"It's hard work. My teams will always be referenced for their attacking play, but we're good when we press in the right moments and have that mentality to not want to concede. We had enough of the ball to create more opportunities, but to have that base collectively is very important.
"This group and team is gaining confidence at this level. The players gave everything. We needed to do more, but we know that. That's cool. We know it was an opportunity for us, but you have to show that little bit more."
