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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is looking forward to the challenge of facing Rangers after the Old Firm clubs were drawn to meet in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.
Following a 4-0 victory over Partick Thistle at Firhill, the reigning champions secured their spot in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Russell Martin’s team emerged victorious against Hibs at Ibrox on Saturday.
Last season’s finalists are set to clash for a place in the Hampden final, where they will face either Motherwell or St Mirren. Celtic has struggled to triumph over Rangers in a regular-time match since last September.
‘Whatever team you play in the semi-final, going to Hampden, I think that was important for us to get back there,’ said Rodgers.
‘There are a lot of games between now and then, and hopefully we can build the rhythm and keep growing and arrive in a good place for the semi-final.
Brendan Rodgers was delighted with performance of his team in 4-0 win over Partick Thistle
Sebastian Tounekti was the star man, scoring his first goal for club in a convincing victory
Protests were never far away, however, with fans displaying their anger with the board
Rodgers remarked that the match at Ibrox didn’t showcase the best of either team. He expressed that his main concern is Celtic’s performance, noting that while securing a point at Ibrox is often seen as satisfactory, the match didn’t meet his expectations.
“For me, it’s about having faith in the team and our methods. Most importantly, it’s about trusting the players, which I do, and I can see our team’s fluidity improving,” Rodgers said.
Despite a strong showing, highlighted by new arrivals Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho, the spotlight was also on the ongoing protests by Celtic supporters against the club’s board.
An overwhelming majority of supporters held up banners and chanted against the club hierarchy, just days after Celtic’s annual accounts showed cash reserves just shy of £80million.
‘I will never tell the supporters what to do or feel,’ said Rodgers. ‘But I don’t think they’ve forgotten the team, they continued to support them.
‘The players feel it and they get encouraged by it. They gave us great backing all day.
‘I was really pleased with the performance and the result. You have to be really professional, and we were. The players passed it well and created some really good moments in the game.
‘We’re building. It’s hard to go through nine months in the season being hot. With everything going on in the window, it’s taken some time for players to come in.
Yang is congratulated by his team-mates after opening the scoring for Celtic at Firhill
Liam Scales is hailed by Benjamin Nygren after scoring Celtic’s second goal in cup clash
Rodgers has words of encouragement for Luke McCowan after he scored goal No4
‘I can see the fluency and the rhythm of the team growing each day.’
Rodgers was asked about Tounekti’s contribution, with the winger scoring his first goal for the club alongside efforts from Yang-Hyun jun, Liam Scales and substitute Luke McCowan.
The manager said: ‘He excites me every time he gets the ball and that’s what we were desperate for in the team.
‘He’s come in really aggressive.
‘He’s a really talented boy because he can go either way and also, not only that, he can run in behind.
‘You see the numbers of times he makes runs. Sometimes he doesn’t get it, sometimes he does, but he’s running off the ball as well.
‘I’m really excited for where he is and where we can bring him to. But, importantly, supporters will love watching him because he’s so exciting.
‘I think that when you come here and if you look through the history of this club, it’s littered with amazing wingers and that’s the football we play.
‘The DNA of this club is based on attacking football and that is with wingers on the side of the pitch that can take people on, beat people.
Crumpled up pieces of paper had to be retrieved from the pitch at the start of the game during a protest by fans
‘Every time he gets the ball, you just sense the excitement and that’s what we need on both sides.’
Meanwhile, Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney completed 90 minutes for the first time since returning to the club in the summer.
Tierney has been working his way back to full fitness and was pleased to finally get a full day’s work under his belt.
‘If you look back the last couple of seasons, it’s been stop-start for me so it’s not going to be as simple as just come in and be 100 per cent straight away,’ said the Scotland defender.
‘That’s why I’ve been so lucky with the gaffer here and the team here that they’ve given me time. Bit by bit I’ll build it up, but it was a good 90 minutes to get under my belt as well and I feel great.’
