Brendan Rodgers on the Celtic ‘mindset’ this term, outlines plans to continue strong start

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Celtic have been in excellent form this term and there is excitement over the trajectory of Brendan Rodgers’ second campaign back in charge.

The Irishman didn’t have it all his own way last season. There were tricky hurdles that had to be sidestepped on the way to a domestic double, but it appears his side have taken confidence from prevailing.

Having a full uninterrupted pre-season has definitely had an impact for Celtic. Rodgers had enjoyed more time to implement his vision this time around without many early injuries disrupting his flow.

Matt O’Riley’s prospective departure will change things a little. He will be an extremely hard player to replace. Nevertheless, the system is functional because of the collective, which can hopefully continue even with alternative personnel.

Now, Rodgers has laid out how Celtic plan to maintain their positive early innings this campaign after three straight victories against Kilmarnock and Hibernian.

Brendan Rodgers outlines Celtic plan for success

Speaking to Celtic TV, Rodgers has cited scoring early goals as an important factor in being able to seize control in matches and set the tempo, which he hopes can continue throughout the campaign.

He explained: “I think it’s the mark of a really good team that you start quick and finish strong. That’s our mindset, we’re not wanting to wait for anyone to see how the game unfolds, we want to impose our style and tempo on the game.

“In modern football, opposition teams will know a lot about us because they have all the data about us but the one thing you cannot prepare for as an opposition player is the tempo that the other team play at.”

“You can’t gauge that until you’re there and that’s something that’s very important for any of my teams. We see it now with this team that the tempo and the level is at a very high level and we want to sustain that for as long as we can in the game.”

Celtic have come flying out of the blocks

In their opening three matches, Celtic have struck in the third, fourth, and 17th minute, placing their opponents on the back foot early in proceedings.

Psychologically, that is crucial in changing the dynamic of matches. It is no coincidence they have scored four, two and three in their completed fixtures as a result.

Not every game is going to be like that; there may be times when patience is required to pick the lock against stubborn defences. However, sustaining good habits rarely leads to bad consequences.

With the fixture schedule set to become more congested over the coming weeks, it is now about maintaining that intensity throughout the course of the season.