Celtic travel to face a St Johnstone side without a permanent manager tomorrow after Craig Levein was sacked by the club last week.
Andy Kirk remains in interim charge at McDiarmid Park following the Saints’ 3-3 draw at Ross County last week, with Peter Leven now the frontrunner to claim the vacancy [BBC Sport].
At one point, Celtic icon Scott Brown was in contention for the role before pulling out of discussions. He has since extended his contract at Ayr United until 2027.
Despite events involving the home side, Brendan Rodgers has vowed to field a strong line-up in Perth as his side look to maintain their perfect league start.
Courteously, he has also offered his condolences after Levein’s departure but is determined for his side to show their ruthless streak tomorrow evening.
Brendan Rodgers on Craig Levein’s St Johnstone departure
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Rodgers acknowledged the school of hard knocks managers go through in Scottish football in light of Levein’s departure, as he stated: “I think it’s a shame, obviously, for Craig.
“He’s a really experienced manager and dips in and out of the media and has done other roles, so for him it won’t be a surprise because sometimes, no matter how well you can be doing, if an owner wakes up one morning and you’re not to be the manager, then you’re out. All you can do is do your best.”
The Irishman also responded to questions regarding whether St Johnstone will be harder to predict without a permanent boss in charge, saying: “No, I think professional players will always look to do their very best. Clearly, it’s a shame Craig has now left there, a very experienced manager.
“Andy and the guys that are there now are obviously holding the fort, and they’ll have the team prepared and ready for the game, so clearly, if there’s a manager in place, you know their philosophy, their football ideas and of course, that allows you to understand it better.
“But I still think looking at how they play and how they’ve been, we’ll get an idea of how they’ll work, but for us it’s really about ourselves and bringing our rhythm to the game and making it very difficult for St Johnstone.”
Celtic ready to turn the screw against St Johnstone
St Johnstone are always a difficult opponent at McDiarmid Park. Nevertheless, Celtic appear to be in a confident mood as they prioritise domestic momentum despite their Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund being visible in the distance.
Ultimately, the occasion at Signal Iduna Park will take care of itself. Entering a footballing cauldron, the Bhoys are set to receive elite billing as they bid to cause a shock at the top table.
Before that, the message couldn’t be clearer from Rodgers. Three points are essential tomorrow night, the bread and butter fixtures pave the way for spectacular occasions.
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