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Brendan Rodgers’ critics proved absolutely correct even though the Celtic boss won’t admit it – Keith Jackson
He doesn’t like being criticised. And you can’t really criticise him for that.
But, even though Brendan Rodgers does not enjoy having his work called into question – and especially not by those who have ‘never played or managed’ at his level – at least he was big enough to take some of it on board in Bergamo the other night. Because what Celtic’s manager served up against Atalanta on Wednesday night was as close to a tactical masterclass as anything he has come up with during his two stints in charge of Scotland’s champions.
Maybe even more than that, it felt very much like a coming-of-age performance from the manager and his players, as if they might finally have discovered a template which can be rolled out and relied upon on nights as testing as these in European football’s most elite environment.
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Yes, Rodgers may still have been bristling afterwards when he said something or other about not knowing if his side’s performance was ‘pragmatic enough for some people’. And, true, he probably should have been bigger than that. But who cares?
The bottom line here is that Rodgers was flexible enough to tailor his team specifically for a contest against a highly dangerous and more talented group and give his own players the best chance of getting out of Lombardy relatively unscathed.
Credit must be given to the men out there on the pitch as, not only was the onus on them to carry out their instructions to a tee but, perhaps even more importantly, they had dredge up the grit and desire required to stand up to what was being thrown at them from a swashbuckling Italian outfit.
And, as a result of these tactical alterations and Celtic’s sheer force of will, they kept a clean sheet in a Champions League away game for the first time in seven years.
The 0-0 draw they achieved through all of this togetherness represents an unmistakable milestone in their European journey under Rodgers. It also leaves them in the driving seat in the quest to qualify for a place in the play-offs and a potential passage into the last 16 of UEFA’s redesigned, top tier competition.
With Bruges and Young Boys still to make the trip to Glasgow’s East End, Celtic’s chances of progression will remain in great shape even if Rodgers can’t find a way to douse the flames of RB Leipzig when the Germans come to Parkhead on Bonfire night.
Another point from that match would be more than enough to keep them on track. And all of this is exceptionally good news for Rodgers even if he would rather not admit to having to rethink the way he goes about his work.
Because the truth of the matter is that those who called for Rodgers to tighten Celtic up the next time he took them on his travels were also proved to be absolutely correct. It didn’t require a complete overhaul or for the Irishman to part with the principles which he holds so dear. It wasn’t a case of shutting up shop and holding on for dear life either.
It was simply a matter of making some minor tweaks and adjustments to a side which was so wide open last time out in Dortmund that the rampaging Germans were able to inflict a humiliation upon both Celtic and, moreover, the Scottish game in general.
In the face of the accompanying post mortem, as the bones of that 7-1 butchering were being picked over, Rodgers insisted he would not change his strategy or his approach. Not for no man. And that made him look and sound like a manager in a state of denial.
So adamant and so prickly was this reaction that it may have sent a shiver racing down the spine of a support which has suffered one embarrassment too many following Celtic around the killing fields of the Champions League over the years.
On the back of that brutal beating at the hands of Borussia, the idea of another annihilation against Atalanta might have pushed them to the limits of their patience. But, perhaps to their surprise, what they witnessed on Wednesday night was a mature, savvy, streetwise performance from a side which has paid the price for naivety at this level once too often.
Rather than abandoning Callum McGregor as they did repeatedly in Dortmund, Arne Engles and Reo Hetate stood shoulder to shoulder with their skipper in the centre of midfield and, by standing their ground in their, they helped to limit the space for Atalanta’s attack to play in.
On the flanks, Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda tucked in when it was required to create a bank of five across the middle of the pitch. Granted, it wasn’t impenetrable and the Italians did manage to make their way towards Kasper Schmeichel’s goal but not in the same sort of dizzying stampede which knocked Celtic to the floor over and over again at the Westfalen.
No, this time there was a clear structure and a sense of solidity about Celtic’s shape, during those spells when they were being starved of the ball. And with Liam Scales and Auston Trusty heading anything that came their way like men possessed, Celtic had the foundations required to pull off this hugely impressive Italian job.
Yes, on another night Mario Pasalic might have helped himself to a first half hat-trick, having been repeatedly picked out by a series of Davide Zappacosta designer crosses but, even though an element of good fortune was involved, Celtic got exactly what they deserved from this contest.
The longer it went on, the more they grew into it and began to flourish. Who knows? Had their passing been a bit more composed and precise in the final third, they might even have pulled off the ultimate in rope-a-dope away wins late on.
But, even so, this was far from an opportunity missed. Rather it was a triumph for a team achieved on the back of painful adversity. And, this time, Rodgers and his players can thoroughly enjoy the critique.
