Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has declared he’s ‘not that bothered’ about what people are saying about his tactical approach after his side’s heavy defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
The Bhoys were hammered 7-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday night, much to the disappointment of Celtic fans who thought they could at least be competitive in the fixture.
The Germans exploited space between the Celtic lines to great effect, also expertly winning back possession and putting the away side under pressure with their pressing.
Fans and pundits have been discussing the manager’s tactical approach, some of whom feel Celtic should be more adaptable to match conditions rather than simply trying to impose their own attacking will on elite opponents.
However, in a stinging response to his critics, Brendan Rodgers has insisted that he didn’t set the team up to be as open and ripe for picking as they were.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers not taking advice from armchair coaches
Speaking in a pre-match media conference, the Celtic boss said: “I don’t feel anything. I’m not really bothered. That’s my honest answer. You can’t turn a tap on and off.
“I think if you analyse the game, you’ll see that we were trying to press the game in the static position and then fall back into a shape. But that wasn’t to the level that we wanted on the evening.
“We play how we play. It’s the same plaudits that have commended our performances in recent months that allow us to go into this game with incredible optimism. We can’t just turn the tap back off and say we become super defensive, it’s not how we play.
“What do we do? Sit back, have 15% of the ball and probably lose 3-0 or 4-0? We’ve seen it with teams who come to us and sit and play five at the back, 5-4-1, with no chance to attack.
“Or do you play how you play but know that you have to sharpen up on mistakes and make quicker movements to close space – all those things are a learning process.
“I’d much rather do that and go down with my own vision than by someone who’s never coached a game in their life. I respect the opinion but I don’t listen to it, I never have.”
Celtic need to find balance, not extremes, in Champions League
There will be a wide range of opinions about what went wrong on Tuesday. Some will lay the blame at the manager’s feet, some will lambast the players. Many will consider it a bit of both.
Rodgers’ point does ring true to an extent. Celtic paved Dortmund’s way to goal for at least three or four of those that rained in. Cut out those errors, and it’s potentially a different match.
However, the manager must also coach adaptability and versatility into his group for these matches against elite opponents.
It’s not as black and white as saying Celtic should defend deep or be entirely gung-ho.
Celtic will always have an attacking threat. It’s about the players showing the craft to pace themselves and build into a match. Don’t sell the farm in the first three minutes.
Stay resolute, see through an initial storm, and then show your flair moving forward. Have the mentality to stand up to the test rather than lose your head and consistently pass to opponents.
Fans want to see that, not 11 men behind the ball nor leaving the door wide open for teams to walk through. It’s about balance and efficient execution. That has to be on display against Atalanta.
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