Brendan Rodgers and his Celtic side are under question at the minute.
A poor start to the season continued with a 2-0 defeat to Dundee on Sunday, after which Rodgers made headlines with his comments.
A month-and-a-half from the closure of a desperately poor transfer window, Rodgers said that he had been given the keys to a Honda Civic, and that he couldn’t be expected to drive it like a Ferrari.
But given the vast differences in resources between the Hoops and other Scottish sides, many pundits have criticised the comments.
In Celtic circles, some have suggested that Rodgers could face the sack if things don’t improve – but he has made one thing clear about his commitment at Celtic Park.
Brendan Rodgers on his Celtic commitment
The Hoops have failed to win a game in Europe this season, having failed to qualify for the Champions League before dropping into the Europa.
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This puts a major emphasis on the side’s meeting with Sturm Graz on Thursday, to get the side off the mark in the League Phase of the tournament.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, he discussed the need for stability and solutions in his side.
Rodgers said: “I think that’s what I have to do [experiment], but at the same time, you’re having to find some level of stability.
“We’ve obviously had important players injured as well, which makes a difference to our level, but stability is important to help you find the tempo and the speed in the game that you want to deliver the best performance that you can.
“But I will never stop. I’m so motivated to try and find the solutions to it, find a way and use my experience in order to help us get there.”
Celtic’s meeting with Sturm Graz
Celtic are on one point after two Europa League outings, putting a major emphasis on Thursday’s tie.
For Austrian champions Sturm, things got off to a poor start with a 2-0 defeat against Midtyjlland – but in the last matchday, many Hoops fans will remember that they beat Rangers 2-1.
They sit at the top of the Austrian League, three points clear of Red Bull Salzburg. They won’t be coming to Parkhead unconfident.
And with the Hoops losing in dismal fashion against Braga last time out in Europe, they will be looking to put that right before a home crowd.
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