Brendan Rodgers playing Celtic long game as Tannadice panic warning raises boss' eyebrow
Brendan Rodgers has named the main pleasing aspect of Celtic's 2024 - and the SIX key elements his side now have in the locker.
The Hoops boss sees his men go into Sunday's clash with St Johnstone 12 points ahead of rivals Rangers after a thumping win over Motherwell coupled up with Philippe Clement's men losing out in added-time at St Mirren in front of the TV cameras. The Parkhead boss admits he can't have too many complaints over the form and results his team have had throughout the calendar year.
They've only lost TWO games this year with one that Champions League battering by Borussia Dortmund. He insists that mentality, drive and focus has been relentless and he now wants to finish this year in the perfect fashion. Rodgers said: "I think this time last year we'd lost a couple of games, maybe drawn three, so I can't have too many complaints. I heard someone saying the other day, 'there's no need to panic', because we drew a game. That was an interesting one...
"My idea is the long game. I've got to look after the whole campaign and get us through game after game when it's so busy. Until this point, the players have been fantastic. When you think, having lost only two games this year, they've been absolutely superb. One of them away back with 10 men then one against the Champions League finalists.
"Apart from that, the players' mentality, focus and drive has been relentless. We now want to finish 2024 in a really good way."
Another impressive statistic is that Celtic have only conceded four goals in their 17 league matches, a fact that pleases Rodgers as much as their ability to find the net on a regular basis. He said: "It's always the balance in identity. That's been the really pleasing aspect of the team for me. I like a team that's adaptable and can play in all the phases of the game.
"This is a team now that can press, be aggressive, and be relentless within that. There's also times when they can play on the counter attack. There's times when they can defend that bit deeper and be resolute. Then there's games where we can dominate and create.
"The pleasing aspect over 2024 has been the adaptability in the team to play in different phases of the game.
"Our intent is always to create goals and score goals. But that also is through your defensive tightness, organisation and pressing. As a team the balance has been really good."
