Brendan Rodgers called out his Celtic Champions League critics as he delivered a "pragmatic enough" one-liner after taking a draw against Atalanta.
Celtic battled to a goalless draw against the Europa League champions in Bergamo with Rodgers' side rock-solid in their defending.
Rodgers had come under criticism for his tactics after the heavy 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund last time out in the Champions League.
And the Celtic boss hasn't forgotten the scathing verdict from some commentators on his selection in Dortmund as he referenced his side being "pragmatic enough tonight".
🎥 WATCH: “I’m not sure whether that was pragmatic enough for people tonight.. I don’t know!” 👀 🍀 Brendan Rodgers says Celtic’s 0-0 draw away to Atalanta will give the players a lot of belief in the Champions League. ➡️ @ukdebtexpert pic.twitter.com/7QYR7QTnL1
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In his post-match media conference, Rodgers said: "It gives them the confidence that you can defend against a top team.
"I'm not sure if that was pragmatic enough for people tonight...I don't know.
"We go out in every game to be structure and defend well, you don;'t want to get pushed back.
"I think the confidence it gives you when you can defend against the very best teams, that level and that concentration, it will give them a huge boost."
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"It felt great," he added of a first clean sheet for Celtic in the competition in seven years. "We said before the game we knew the level that we were playing against.
"We're playing against a team that has the highest goal scores in Italian football and is one of the favourites for this competition.
"I thought the courage, the dignity of what the players played with to stand up to the fight and right to the very end.
"So to come here and keep a clean sheet, it was a brilliant defensive performance.
"I felt we also carried a threat when we had the ball as well. I think our inexperience at this level shows us sometimes we're a bit hurried with the ball, and we give away a little bit too cheaply. But that comes step by step.
"But to come away to Atalanta, a team of this level, and to have that concentration and play with that commitment. I was very pleased."
