Brendan Fraudgers!

A TRICKY thing about raising the bar is that it becomes increasingly
difficult to then take it up a further notch or two.

Or in the case of football, in particular Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic, it costs a lot of money to improve something which is already in pretty decent shape.

A few million quid is not going to buy a player better than any he already has.

This is why the manager is not doing his summer shopping in the bargain bins.

Odsonne Edouard cost a club record fee of £9million, a sum of money Celtic would never have spent on one player even a year ago, and with John McGinn looking set to come in as well – he is going to cost a few bob, if not the £5m Neil Lennon wanted – the next new man’s price tag will have a fair few zeroes.

After two seasons, Rodgers finds himself in a position wherein he doesn’t need a squad player, because, with all due respect, there are more than enough impact players already at Parkhead.

Celtic are looking for one more creative type, they are never cheap, and when the next summer signing is made, it will be for someone who can walk right into the team.

Rodgers said: “We need to strengthen. That’s something I’ve said all along. It’s about bringing players of the right quality in. It’s not a numbers game for us. We have a core squad that is very strong. We want to add to that.


“I don’t need to add guys who will be on the bench. I want guys who can come in and affect the team.

“We lost a couple of important players in Stuart Armstrong and Patrick Roberts, who was on loan. We need to replace that quality – and, if possible, add to it. That’s our job over the next couple of weeks.

“To improve us, the reality is that there has to be investment. We can’t deny that. If you want to improve and develop, that is important for the squad.

“But the players here have developed very well, players who have been fantastic for me for two years.

“To bring someone in who is ahead of them is going to take money. I’m working with the squad we have and we look to develop it, make the boys here any better.”


Celtic face Shamrock Rovers in Dublin today before they fly to Armenia tomorrow where on Tuesday they will face Alashkert in what is sure to be the searing heat.

The double Treble winners will get through this round but this first game of the first qualifier will prove a test.

“Of course, it’s always difficult if you are playing in extreme heat like that,” said Rodgers.

“We have to monitor the blocks of pressure we put on in the game. It’s hard to press for 90 minutes, that’s for sure. So it’s about how you prepare the players tactically, as much as physically. Maybe it can’t be a full-pitch press, just a medium-pitch press and even lower at times. You are preparing the players for that.


“We’ve done as much preparation as we possibly could. We’ve got a lot of decent coverage and John McGlynn has been out to see them and analyse them. We will be prepared.

“At this stage of pre-season, the players will never be 100 per cent.

“But I’ve been really impressed by how the guys have come back. They’ve come back fit, which is how the top modern-day player should be.

“They have a high level of fitness, then we look to push that and extend that over the first few weeks.”

Dublin is not Armenia but it will be another run-out for a group of players who are now desperate to get started for real. Enough of these friendlies already.
It’s another step towards our match fitness,” said Rodgers. “It’s clear that you have to work your players very, very quickly ahead of the qualifiers.

“We’ve had a very good week at Lennoxtown, followed that up with another good week in Austria – and now we continue
that preparation.

“We had a great time here last year so, at this stage of the season, it’s good for us.

“We’ve had a lot of important work to do because, once the competitive games kick in next week, it’s hopefully right the way through until virtually the end of August.

“But the players, at this stage of pre-season, are looking very strong. We still have a lot of work to put into them. There will be a team that will play probably 60-70 minutes of the game, then we’ll make changes. You can’t protect them too much because you still need to build fitness.

“Next week, you will be looking to push them for 90 minutes. But bearing in mind it could be 38 degrees. These are competitive games very early – but we also have to build the players for the whole
of the season.”

 

Will Brendan change his style of play after all these years. This World Cup has proven the so called Spanish style of play is a thing of the past. The more direct play has been the winner by a long way. Almost 50% of goals scored have come from set pieces. We never seem to score that many from set pieces. Please be more direct this season and cut out the tippy tappy football.

 

BR: "In this competition you always have to respect every opponent that you play. Alashkert are a team who have won their domestic league for the last three seasons so we know they are a good team.


BR: "We’ve analysed a number of their games. They are a team who play well in the transition. They have a striker who is fast and when they play from deep his speed makes it difficult for you. They play very compact.

BR: "We know it will be a tough game for us, especially at this time of the season where we are only beginning our preparations and Alashkert are in the middle of their season."

BR: "I think the weather is always going to play a big factor, the temperature back in the UK is hot just now but it’s nowhere near as hot here."

BR: "Sometimes it can affect the tempo of the game. It’s something we have to work through but our objective over the two legs is qualify for the next round."


BR: "We know it will be tough to play in the heat, which we aren’t used to, and that we are facing a tough opponent."

BR: "We expect them to be very compact and tight. When you pay at home in the qualification phase it’s important that you don’t concede a goal."

BR: "The team likes to build the game from behind, play their way through midfield and they’ll want to be a threat with their speed at the top of the field. We expect they’ll want to make a good start in the tie."

BR: "Our approach to every game is the same, it doesn’t matter the opponent. This is a squad of players at Celtic who are very respectful to every team we play."

BR: "Our squad is a group of players that have a lot of humility. It doesn’t matter what level the opponent is at, we respect and prepare like we were playing Barcelona."

 

disagree if it was a bit of football banter going both ways then fine.

however, our fans if for arguments sake this was true should be rising above it not resorting to racism.

Logan is such a * he should be in a hun shirt, but racism shouldnt be dolled out to any level of *

 

It’s not as black and white as media portray it.

The guy looks for trouble as Brendan alluded too

 

racism is black and white, for the wider purpose it doesn't matter who it is our fans, some random jakey on streets or some well educated toff *.

Whether a * acts the * and * for trouble like a uber * *, does not mean racism is an accepted retort.

your as well saying Lennon deserves the treatment he gets because of all the gesturing and hun winding he does.

 

Are you winding me up?

You're basically hanging the support already. Feel like I'm reading that * Michael Gannon's piece again..

 

not intentionally, what Rodgers was saying on the issue was fine up until that point he didn't need to say it really is in essence what I was trying to say.

by saying it, (while struggling to articulate my point here) you open up a discussion on how racism is OK because someone doesn't help themselves with their behaviour.

he could have ended his point with how we are the best fans in the world and our amazing atmosphere and how racism is and shouldn't be tolerated in any form.

although I'm starting to assume here that Logan has made some some loose comment which the media has turned into a racism angle and ran with it.

 

If a was Brendan because of the stunt logan has pulled I'd be telling aberdeen to get to * with any loan offers for Johnny hayes

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

 

If you really believe he was trying to say that he brings racism on his self....then we'll leave it at that..

No chance whatsoever would Brendan excuse that. In fact, Brendan knows fine well what this wee * game is and has simply called him out on why he receives abuse. Abuse, no racist abuse..

Michael Gannon had our support guilty with his final line yesterday..

Shows the scum we're dealing with and the scum that will be defended. We don't and should know better than to stick the boot in ourselves..

 

I agree with you, perhaps it's because my grasp of the English language is so basic in that all I know is simple words and *, I'm not really able to properly express or debate a viewpoint without sound a * myself.

my issue with it is that Rodgers should know full well how Scotland likes to twist everything people say, so I would have hoped he'd have not said it all because * (me), whilst I wouldn't purposefully use it against my own kin, can still see how another * (more cunty then me) can try and twist it and heavily imply it's intention.

which annoyingly, can be easily done when those like show racism the red card come out against what Rodgers said again, even they muddy the waters by implying something Rodgers wouldn't condone under any circumstance.

 

Your English is good mate, all your * were used correctly.

 

Yup they are an absolute riddy at times nowadays.

 

Better watch ma man.......got a temp ban on facebook, which i wasn't overly bothered about incidently, for saying pretty much this at the Indy Ref!!

It could have been any one of a number of mates of mine........and none to this day have owned up......red Tory cowards!!

 

Or any other players