Former Celtic defender Mark Wilson was full of praise for his former side after yesterday’s win highlighting the 6-0 victory over Aberdeen as a perfect response.
Celtic went into Sunday’s match with some doubts surrounding the Bhoys in how they would react after Tuesday’s 6-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League but reacted superbly with a 6-0 demolition of their own.
With Celtic now eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership going into the international break after five months back at the club Rodgers is starting to find his feet as manager. The result even topped Celtic’s win over Aberdeen at Celtic Park in May in the Scottish Premiership, in Ange Postecoglou’s 5-0 win in his last game in charge of Celtic in the Premiership.
The return of Rodgers was seen as a sensible appointment in replacing Postecoglou as manager, and although some fans were not happy about his return, as time has progressed, he has begun to win his critics over.
The way Rodgers left Celtic in his first spell will never be seen positively, departing midway through a season. But it is clear that despite scepticism, he did not want his Celtic legacy to be leaving the club halfway through the season.
Instead, he wants to be remembered for the success he brings through trophies, his team’s attacking goal-scoring style of play, and, most importantly, for being the manager who took Celtic further in Europe. It may look unlikely that this will be the season he can do so in Europe, but it is clear that this is what he craves most.
Wilson said: [Sky Sports], “It was the perfect response of course because coming off he back of a 6-0 defeat is never easy and playing on a Sunday game. But yesterday I thought they were terrific coming up against an Aberdeen team that came to sit in and defend their six-yard box.
“You have to have creativity and invention and stretch the opponent and I felt Celtic did that in abundance. It always helps when you get a couple of goals inside the opening 16 minutes and then when you’ve got substitutes to come off the bench to add to that, it shows that the weaknesses people are pointing to in Brendan Rodgers’ squad are probably false. You see the quality that Turnbull comes on and adds to it and Oh comes on and grabs a couple.”
Wilson highlights that yesterday’s game could have posed a tough obstacle for an Aberdeen side looking to limit Celtic’s attacking threat. However, the way Rodgers set up the Hoops made it impossible for the Dons to stop Celtic.
Rodgers will seek to strengthen the team in January through signings, and even in victory yesterday, he reiterated his determination for more, even after an incredible result. He is back and ready to show the rest of Scotland what they missed during his four years away from Celtic Park.
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