The Celtic board must have thought they had won a watch when Brendan Rodgers appeared to brand his players like a Honda Civic. They could not be more wrong, according to Robbie Nielson.
Celtic’s defeat to Dundee created a barrage of criticism towards Rodgers’ team this week after a meek performance at Dens Park surrendered their unbeaten start to the domestic season.
The Celtic manager caused a stir when he said, “There’s no way you’ll go into a race and be given the keys to a Honda Civic and say, I want you to drive it like a Ferrari.” With many people implying that Rodgers was having a go at the quality of his players.
Nothing could be further from the truth according to former Hearts boss Robbie Nielson who has sent a message to the Celtic board that they simply will not like.
Robbie Nielson says Rodgers’ Honda Civic remark piles pressure on the Celtic board
Nielson was asked his thoughts on the comments Rodgers made and the Lommel SK boss said what the Celtic manager did was ‘very, very clever’.
Nielson told The Scottish Football Podcast, “I think these situations are always really interesting when you watch them, because I think Brendan has been very, very clever with it. And I think we’re all talking about Brendan.
“We’re talking about the board. We’re not talking about the players. So he’s taken the focus and the pressure and everything off the players, which is, at a club like Celtic, what the leader needs to do to allow them to go and play.”
Brendan Rodgers’ Honda Civic comments branded a Celtic ‘masterstroke’
Nielson had an even better take on this when he said that from the outside looking in, Rodgers’ comments were a ‘masterstroke’.
Nielson continued, “I think when I first saw it, I thought maybe he’s just frustrated. But then the more I kind of watched the video, I’m thinking I think it’s a tactical one for him, because he’ll have the players on side. He can quite easily go in the Monday morning and have a laugh and a joke about it.”
“You know, if he’s got them onside and he’s taken the pressure away, I think it could be a masterstroke. It might have been frustration, but I think knowing Brendan and the way he works, I think he’s been very clever with that one and taking the focus off the players.”
With Celtic preparing to face Sturm Graz in the Europa League, Rodgers will be hoping to put all this chat to bed with a convincing win at Parkhead.
Nothing but three points will do as Celtic look to get out of the Europa League group phase for the first time since 2019.
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