Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers says he is seeing growth from his team every day.
It’s been a challenging start to life back in the Celtic hot seat for Rodgers. Since his appointment in mid-June, he’s had to deal with losing several key players, bedding in many new signings and multiple players missing game-time through injury.
Even on the pitch, things have been tough at times. Defeats to Kilmarnock and Feyenoord have arrived as well as a league draw at home to St. Johnstone. Yet we look to be hitting our stride now, and we’re in a good place.
The 3-0 win over Livingston on Saturday was perhaps our best performance performance of the season. Especially given that we played the majority of the match with ten men after Joe Hart was red carded.
Daizen Maeda was terrific in the win with Rodgers blown away by the attacker’s work rate. The Japan international topped off his display with an emphatic late strike — his first goal of the season.
After the long-range finish, his Hoops team-mates showed their delight for him getting off the mark in some class scenes. The “team ethic and togetherness” shown during that moment was put to Rodgers in a Celtic TV interview released on Tuesday.
“Togetherness, along with organisation and personality,” he replied. “It’s a good place for the team to be in and that’s what we’re striving towards.
“The goal for us is to look to create even more opportunities, to score more goals and play with more quality.
“I can see the team growing and developing each day now and bringing it into the games. Any good team has that cohesion and togetherness and I think it’s clear to see in this squad of players.”
So Rodgers is seeing the team developing every day. That is very positive news and something we will hopefully see play out on the pitch in the coming weeks.
Despite a challenging start to the campaign, we actually find ourselves in a teriffic position in the Premiership. We’re four points ahead of Rangers and have already been to Ibrox as well as Pittodrie. Right now, we’ll be viewed by many as favourites for the title.
Our Champions League campaign may have started with a defeat to Feyenoord, but there are still five big games to go. We’ve got an open group to attack and there could be some real rewards if we can find our top level.
Having secured some big domestic results recently, Celtic may be about to motor. Listening to Rodgers speak since the weekend, it seems like he feels the same way.
In other news, Stephen McGowan delivers the Reo Hatate news Celtic fans have been waiting for
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