One of the surprises for Celtic fans yesterday was Brendan Rodgers’ decision to introduce Liam Scales to the League Cup final against Rangers at half-time.
Celtic were struggling to get a foothold in the game and Brendan Rodgers decided that Auston Trusty needed to be replaced by Liam Scales during the Hampden break.
At the time Rodgers said of the tactical change, “We looked so clunky and couldn’t get through the pitch. We looked a wee bit edgy. So I didn’t like that, how we cleaned the game up. Scales has been brilliant, to be fair.
“He’s clean and Auston Trusty did really, really well. I just felt that he’s had the experience of playing in finals for us now, Liam. I just made that change and he came in and he was able to clean the game up.”
Despite Scales’ penalty scare, the Celtic defender was solid for the second half and the 30 minutes of extra time that had to be played in the 3-3 Hampden stalemate.
Speaking after the match, the Republic of Ireland stopper shares what the Celtic boss told him as he got stripped to replace USA international defender, Trusty.
What Liam Scales was told at half-time as Celtic defender helped beat Rangers
Scales would be allowed to say he’s been unlucky to lose his starting place to Trusty of late but the Celtic defender showed that when called upon, Rodgers can rely on the Irishman to deliver whether it’s from the bench or from the first whistle.
Scales said, “I was just told at halftime I was coming on and that was it. And then felt I was delighted to get on.
“You want to play in these big games and I just sort of tried to do what I usually do and I think I did that for the most part.”
Liam Scales explains why it was ‘easier’ to come off the Celtic bench to beat Rangers
Scales got more time on the pitch than he probably bargained for as Rangers took Celtic to extra time but here, the Hoops defender explains why it was ‘easier’ to come on at half-time rather than being introduced into the game later on in the second half.
“It’s probably, coming on at halftime,” continued Scales, “Is a little bit easier than coming straight off the bench during the game because you have that little bit of time to get your head around it to warm up and get yourself mentally prepared and physically prepared.
“So it was probably easier than it would have been if it was during the second half.”
Scales now has his fifth winners medal of his Celtic career so far and with a commanding lead in the league and the Scottish Cup still to come, the Irishman has plenty of opportunity to add to his collection this season.
Celtic have the rest of the week to prepare for their next game as Rodgers faces a tricky away league fixture with Dundee United on Sunday.
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