Brendan Rodgers praised his ‘electric’ Celtic team after they swept Rangers aside in the first Old Firm derby of the season.
The manager cut a calm figure after the 3-0 win at Celtic Park, perhaps a sign of how routine these victories over Rangers are becoming for the Premiership champions.
He couldn’t hide his satisfaction though at his side’s display, and thinks that his team will only get better from here after the late flurry of business in the transfer window.
“It was a fantastic performance,” Rodgers said.
“I thought we were electric going forward.
“We've scored three and we look at the other chances we had in the game, which was very, very good, but also equally as pleasing is that we were defensively solid and strong and right to the very end.
“Overall, it was such a great day for us. It just continues, the quality, the speed, the intensity of which we've been playing.
“I think we're only starting. I think for me, the pleasing aspect was the performance. That was what we'd said to the players.
“I wanted them to concentrate on that, because that's what we've always done. We want to always make it really difficult for every opponent that we play. And we've seen that today, both with and without the ball.”
Rodgers was able to blood two of his new arrivals in the form of £11m capture Arne Engels and former Dundee captain Luke McCowan during the second half of the victory over Rangers, with Auston Trusty and Alex Valle held in reserve.
He is now looking forward to seeing how the strength of his squad enables his team to develop even further in the months ahead.
“We were busy since the first day of pre-season,” he said.
“You go back to the 27th of June, all the work that the players, the staff, the club have put in, right the way through the transfer window.
“And obviously, to arrive at this point, with how we've been playing and with so much more development to come, then of course it's really pleasing. But it was a really hectic week, a busy week.
“And obviously this at the end, which was what we wanted to do, was play well and win, and we've done that. I think it's good when you see growth.
“I think that when we compare it to this time last season, it was a wee bit flat. And I think you sense, just before the game started, there's a great energy in the crowd. And that's what you want your team to bring.
“So, I think they're enjoying watching the team, the quality of the game. And yes, there's still such a long way to go, but all you can do is make the first step in a positive way, and the players clearly have done that.”
Rodgers reserved special praise for striker Kyogo Furuhashi, who continued his fine recent record against Rangers with his eighth goal in his last 11 games against the Ibrox club, saying that these big occasions seem to bring the best out of the forward.
“It's what you want,” he said.
“I think you want that from your big players.
“And I think that confidence and that courage that he has, I think you can say that about a lot of the players, the courage they take going into these games, to play big and perform to a high level. And he's done that today.
“He's probably disappointed he never got his hat trick. But there was the one we had which as disallowed.
“It would be interesting to see the line on that, because that was a really, really well worked goal, how we played through Rangers pressure and broke away and we scored.
“But yes, he was very, very good.”
