Brendan Fraudgers!

I’d fling myself off the Erskime Bridge if this came true

 

Mental the things that have happened in only 2.5 year since he took over. When we got him * were shocked but to have done an Invincible season, 2 CL qualifications in a row, won every trophy, skelped the huns countless times by 4/5 goals home, away and anywhere would have been unthinkable when he took over

 

No hint on twitter or social media to who it is?

 

Nope but I just hope to * it is an improvement on previous January buys

Eboue Kouassi
Charly Musonda
Marvin Compper
Jack Hendry

All brought in at an approximate cost of £6m!!!

 

Brendan Rodgers raised a glass of fizz to his Celtic players at Parkhead on Sunday night and toasted their hard-fought Betfred Cup victory over Aberdeen at Hampden earlier

Yet, the festivities were short-lived - he was back in at Lennoxtown first thing today to oversee training and formulate a game plan for the Ladbrokes Premiership match with Motherwell at Fir Park tomorrow evening.

The 1-0 win at Hampden at the weekend secured the seventh consecutive trophy success of Rodgers’ reign as manager. There will, however, be no let-up in his relentless pursuit of honours. Especially not with a third straight treble now a distinct possibility.


The Northern Irishman knows that keeping players who have dominated Scottish football since he arrived in Glasgow two-and-a-half years ago motivated presents its owns unique challenges.

He believes that leading by example is vital in ensuring his charges remain hungry and focused on the next challenge.

“It is not easy,” said Rodgers. “You have to work at it. We are in an exciting period at the club. We all want to look back on it and say it is a really successful time. So we don’t stop.

“To do that we have to work. Thankfully, our focus every day, the work we put into preparing the team, helps the players see we are not having a lazy day as staff. That allows them to focus on performing well. They accept that.

Now they have rhythm with winning and know what it takes to win. They went to Hampden on Sunday with a good feeling. They have the heart for it, but they also have the talent for it.”



Rodgers added: “You have to think of that emotional hook for players. Trying to find what drives each individual on. You have to set a standard in training. That is important. From the first day I came in, the environment dictates what you bring onto the field. You can’t get lazy.

“It is about mentality. It is creating an environment where they know they can’t have a lazy day. We will shape them, try to make them better, but they need to be ready to win.”

Scott Brown, the Celtic captain, won the 17th major honour of his time at Parkhead at the weekend while James Forrest, the Scotlandwinger, picked up his 14th medal.

Rodgers knows how important those stalwarts are to his side, but he also feels that introducing youngsters, the likes of Filip Benkovic, Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard, has helped to maintain a high level of performance on a consistent basis.

The 45-year-old takes considerable pride in the fact that the average age of the side that started on Sunday was just 25 – one of the lowest in the Scottish top flight.

“I think having youth helps,” he said. “We are one of the three youngest teams in the Premiership. So when you have that hunger and will and desire in there and you can shape that it is exciting. You mix some experienced ones around about it and they are revitalised.

“They want to win. But, of course, we want to win in the best way that we can. It is great to see the likes of Ryan developing. Benkovic is 21 and he has a great feeling as well. The other players do as well.”

Brown, who has struggled with hamstring and knee injuries this season and only made his comeback as a substitute in the Europa League game against Rosenborg in Norway on Thursday evening, started the cup final on the bench before replacing Tom Rogic in the second-half.

Callum McGregor has performed well in a deeper role while the central midfielder has been out – prompting suggestions that his skipper might struggle to win back his place when he regained fitness.

Rodgers, though, stressed that Brown, who is in the final year of his contract, remained a hugely important player for him and suggested McGregor move into a more advanced role going forward.

“Scott is still a key player,” he said. “He is a very good player. But the team has been in good rhythm the last six or seven weeks. As a manager you pick the team you think can win.

“You saw two sides to Callum on Sunday. He was sitting in, controlling the game, passing it, finding the gaps to play through. Then we moved him up one and he was amazing setting us away on counter attacks.”

Rodgers felt his team, who squandered numerous opportunities to build on their lead, could have been more clinical up front. Edouard, the 20-year-old French striker, was guilty of squandering one gilt-edged chance late in the game. He went for glory and ran straight into Aberdeen goalkeeper Joe Lewis when he had players outside him.

However, his manager expects him to learn from the incident and square to one of his team mates in future. “When you have the runners you have to make the right pass,” he said. “But he’s a goalscorer, he’s a striker, he wants to scor

 

They cost far from £6m I would imagine. Figures reported are usually well wide of the mark. I remember Lennon laughing at the suggestion Juarez cost £4.5m among others.

 

He did indeed, I was there in attendance when he said it. Confirmed it was no more than £2m, same with Daryl Murphy (said the reported price of £2m was double what was paid).

 

BR: on #BetfredCup win: "We're always hungry for more. It's a testament to the players who want to learn more all the time."



BR: "The players take confidence from their training. You can see that in how we like to play and how that reflects on the field."

BR: "We're in a really good position as a team. We've won a cup and done well in Europe, therefore we've played less in the league."


BR on #MOTCEL: "Motherwell is always a tough game for us. We'll go there looking to win. Dedryck will unfortunately miss out as he has a hamstring strain.


BR on his 7th trophy: "I'm thankful to everyone here at the club who helped to make it all happen. I'm obviously proud but I don't want to dwell on it because there's so much more we want to achieve."

 

Dundee confirmed Hendry was £1.5m as for the rest....

 

BRENDAN Rodgers last night defended the conduct of his Celtic players in the wake of their Betfred Cup final triumph - and aimed a thinly-veiled dig at his Aberdeen counterpart Derek McInnes for his behaviour at Hampden on Sunday.

Both McInnes, the Pittodrie manager, and Graeme Shinnie, his captain and midfielder, were critical of how Scott Brown and Mikael Lustig, the Parkhead players, acted towards the end of the game.

McInnes confronted Lustig on the pitch after his team had lost a fiercely-contested game 1-0 and accused him of trying to wind up Lewis Ferguson, his 19-year-old midfielder.


Shinnie, who has had a feud with Brown since the final league game of last season and refused to shake his opponent’s hand following the final whistle, afterwards accused both Celtic players of lacking class.

But Lustig later claimed that he was actually shouting at McInnes – who he said had mouthed off at him during the game – and Rodgers suggested that his opposite number had to accept that reaction after his actions.

“It is disappointing,” he said. “I didn’t see Mikael goad the boy Ferguson at all. I watched the game back when I went home. I don’t think there was any goading.

“If you look at us as a team and you look at our records, we are a very sporting team.. The players’ record from a discipline perspective is exemplary. So I can’t agree with that. I don’t go down the route that we lack any of those qualities. It is not something I would agree with.”

Rodgers added: “For some players, they will give it out and you have to be ready to take it.

“I also say that if you are a manager on the side of the field, and I say this generically, who gets involved with players if something comes back to you then you have to be ready to take that.”

 

Love that last dig at McInnes

Slagging Hook beak Shinnie as well. Lol..

 

Now watch McInnes moan like a wee *.

 

Lustig loves winding up McInnes

 

Hopefully puts an end to McKenna as well

 

Never get's old

 

Makes it all the sweeter that it was Christie who got the winner. Get it up ye McInnes.

 

So Shinnie refuses to shake hands with the Celtic players but it's Celtic who lack class?

Hope Broony puts this wee * up in the air on Boxing Day