Bullish Brendan Rodgers claims he is not a dreamer, but the resolute Celtic manager refuses to adapt his football philosophy despite another Champions League nightmare in Dortmund.
Brendan Rodgers tells Celtic Euro snipers ‘I’m no dreamer’ but boss WON’T change gameplan for anyone
The Hoops coach is still reeling from BVB’s terrible 7-1 thrashing of his club at the Westfalenstadion on Tuesday night. The Scottish champions were riding high following an unblemished domestic start at home when they faced the Bundesliga heavyweights. But Rodgers maintains he was never stupid enough to dismiss the chance of his team losing a huge game versus Nuri Sahin’s dangerous lineup.
What the Northern Irishman is willing to disregard is any suggestion that he reconsider the aggressive tactics that propelled his team to last year’s double triumph, despite the fact that they were also directly responsible for his squad’s exposure in Germany. Rodgers stated, “I’m seasoned enough to know that when the stakes are
high and the competition is fierce, you must occasionally expect to lose.
“If you don’t, you’re a daydreamer. And if you want to be in management, you won’t stay there for long. It’s nice for everyone to dream, and for reviewers to
speculate on what the scores might be. However, as a manager, you may expect to lose against Champions League finalists on occasion. But we will learn from it and be better as a result.”
Rodgers has come under fire from critics following his team’s latest Champions League defeat. During his first season at Parkhead, his team also shipped seven goals
to Barcelona and PSG, as well as a six-goal defeat at Atletico Madrid last season. However, the former Liverpool and Leicester manager would rather face top teams willing to compete than accept a sure defeat.
That may not instill confidence in the Parkhead crowd as they prepare to face Europa League winners Atalanta in Bergamo later this month. However, Rodgers believes his strategy may be successful provided his players adhere to it and avoid the blunders that cost so much in Germany.
When asked about his response to the critics, he answered, “I’m not particularly upset. That’s my honest response. You cannot turn a tap off and on. If you analyze the game, you’ll notice that we were attempting to press the game in a static posture and then fall back into form. However, that did not meet our expectations for
the evening. However, we continue to play as we have.
“It’s the same performances over the last few months that have allowed us to approach this game with such hope. You can’t simply turn the tap back off and claim you’ve gotten overly defensive. That is not how we play.
“So, what should we do? Sit back, have 15% of the ball, and likely lose 3-0 or 4-0? Or do you play the way you do, knowing that you need to sharpen your teeth and improve your movements to close space? And all of it is a learning process.
“I’d rather do that and go down with my own vision than with someone who claims to have never coached a game, played third, or done whatever. So, while I appreciate the opinion, I have never listened to it.
He said, “I’m not stupid. I hear all of the words, including pragmatism. And anything else is thrown at teams willing to play. We do not play that way to lose. We play
to win. We also understand that there are some games and opponents that you must adjust to.
“But I’ve never been a coach who sits back and wants to defend, defend, defend, only to lose 3-0.” I would rather enforce a strategy for winning the game.
“But also understanding, as I stated before the game, that the quality of a team, regardless of your philosophy, will push you back. And I think our game the other
night was a perfect example of that.”
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