Brendan Rodgers named checked Celtic fringe players Liam Scales and Bosun Lawal when summing up the attitude and application he witnessed from his team in the 1-0 win over Gamba Osaka on Saturday.
The Bhoys won thanks to an unlikely goal from the determined Alexandro Bernabei, who refused to give up on a loose ball after his own horror pass forward. It’s that kind of spirit in these players that is impressing the new manager at the moment.
By Rodgers’ own admission, he can’t supply the team with the heart they need to succeed as Celtic players, so he was impressed to see strong attributes amongst the wider squad in Japan.
Speaking after the victory in Osaka [Celtic TV]: “I said to them at the beginning of the season that they will hopefully play to a high level tactically and technically – but what you can never underestimate is what heart gives you. As a team and as an individual player you need to have heart. That’s something that I can’t give them or the coaches can’t give them, but it’s something they have to have within.
“And I think we saw that in the second half. At times balls coming into the box. Scalesy was great, heading it. Bosun making blocks and defending. For some of those boys, that’s not their natural game but you have to do it. So I was really pleased with that aspect – when you have to defend. You go away from home, you don’t have it all your own way and you have to deal with it. And I think they dealt with it really well.”
Celtic fans will find out a lot more about Rodgers’ plans for these performers on the fringes of the first-team squad heading into the competitive season. They might get a chance, they might head out on loan, or they could even be gotten rid of completely.
However, Rodgers clearly thinks they have acquitted themselves well during the Portugal and Japan trips, so they’ll have done everything they can to convince him of more opportunities. It’s just about whether those technical and tactical qualities match up with the heart displayed.
The Bhoys boss has said that he will now focus on the fitness of the core of the squad against Wolves and Athletic Bilbao, so expect much stronger teams to take to the field for longer periods. That might force a Scales or a Lawal out of contention, but they’ll be encouraged by their summer regardless.
In other news, Celtic handed big Cameron Carter-Vickers boost as Lennoxtown report emerges.
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