A defiant Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic’s detractors cannot wait to “beat them over the head with a stick” in regards to their struggles against the best in Europe.
Celtic’s 7-1 mauling at Borussia Dortmund at the start of October served as the Scottish champions’ latest harrowing occasion when facing elite opposition. Rodgers clearly believes Celtic are not afforded proper context when it comes to performances against superior, and richer, Champions League clubs.
The subplot is that Celtic enjoy a similar situation on the domestic front but their manager has insisted coverage of their European shortcomings has been unfair. Rodgers and his team were widely lauded for dismantling Slovan Bratislava at the onset of this European campaign.
Asked whether expectation attached to Celtic in the Champions League is disproportionate, Rodgers said: “I think that if you get any sort of common sense and logic, you would see that. But it’s something that doesn’t count. You don’t get the leeway. That’s the reality of it. It’s an opportunity for people to beat you over the head with a stick and that’s clear.
“I’m not going to get too emotional about it. I don’t listen too much. It’s a perfect storm for some people. You know that when you lose, especially when you come into Europe, that they will write a great piece … actually, they’ve been saving it for probably a number of months. So that’s the opportunity to do it.
“I can’t change that. I’m not even going to be bothered to try, to be honest. There’s no leeway given. So we just have to concentrate on our own club, keep trying to improve and see where it takes us.”
Rodgers readily admitted the Dortmund affair “felt like an assault” on Celtic’s spirit. The tests barely get any easier. Celtic are in northern Italy for a clash with Atalanta, the free-scoring Europa League winners.
Rodgers continues to resist calls to alter what is typically an attacking tactical approach. “I started coaching over 25 years ago and from the very beginning, my coaching has always been aggressive,” he said. “Until the day I finish, it will be aggressive. That’s how I work.
“But I’m also respectful that you play against teams at a certain level and certain opponents, where you have to really look at their strengths. I don’t tell them not to do that in every game, because I do, no matter what team I’m playing, whether it’s in Scotland or in the Champions League. It’s the level at which you can get punished. So I think it’s one where you have to have the balance in your game.”
Rodgers added: “You have to be really strong defensively. There are going to be moments when you can press the game high. There are going to be moments when you’re lower on the pitch. And I think the key learning for us has to be that when you are in those moments, you cannot go on your own. We’ve got a very, very inexperienced squad of players playing at this level.”
Celtic will again be without Cameron Carter-Vickers, their first-choice centre-half, in Bergamo. The left-back Greg Taylor also did not travel to Lombardy because of injury.
