“I Hear The Talk” – Brendan Rodgers Shuts Down Narrative Heading Into Glasgow Derby | Latest Celtic News
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Brendan Rodgers has made it clear that there’s no such thing as a meaningless Glasgow Derby, as his Celtic side prepare to face Rangers at Ibrox this Sunday.
Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Celtic v Kilmarnock – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – April 12, 2025
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers arrives at the stadium before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Despite having already secured the Premiership title and Rangers having nothing left to play for, Rodgers insists the game remains of huge significance. The Hoops boss is determined to see his side bounce back from two derby defeats this season and lay down a marker ahead of the Scottish Cup final.
Chris Sutton has joked that Rangers are chasing a treble of their own – three Glasgow Derby wins in a row. Hopefully, Brendan Rodgers stands in the way of that.
“I hear the talk up here about meaningless games. There’s never that,” Rodgers told CeltsAreHere. “A Celtic-Rangers game, there’s never a meaningless game or there’s nothing in the game. There’s everything in this game, everything.
“So we have to go and prove that on the field.
“Yes, we are champions, the best team, the most consistent team with the mentality, Champions League progression, all of this here. But these are important games. So the message, no, our preparation has been really good.
“We had our little hiccup against St. Johnstone, from that you see the reaction, the players have been brilliant. I always think now at this stage of the season, we’ve set targets, we’ve set goals for the last five games and the cup final. We’re also preparing for next season.
“We’re trying to look to finish strong so we can prepare for that as well.”
Rodgers knows that a win at Ibrox, especially with 2,000 Celtic fans in attendance, would be the ideal way to cap off a dominant league campaign and set the tone for next season. It would also lift some negativity that has been surrounding Celtic throughout the Glasgow Derbies this season.
Brendan Rodgers has to show that he can make some changes in his side’s approach, beat the Rangers set up, and win the final meeting of the pair this season.
Then, full attention will go to winning the treble, with Aberdeen lying in wait at Hampden park.
Tees for Tims – Jota Celtic
Celtic manager provides five significant injury updates, Brendan Rodgers confirms the worst concerns of Celtic fans.Five-Star Rodgers: Incredible Celtic Title Winning Stat Emerges | Latest Celtic News
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Brendan Rodgers has now overseen four title-clinching matches as Celtic manager—and remarkably, each one has ended with the Hoops hitting five goals without reply.
Soccer Football – Scottish Cup – Final – Celtic v Rangers – Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – May 25, 2024 Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers celebrates with the trophy after winning the Scottish Cup REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
The Northern Irishman’s sides seem to have a flair for delivering their most ruthless performances when silverware is on the line, with a bizarre but brilliant pattern emerging across his two spells at the club.
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It all began in 2017 when Celtic stormed to a 5-0 win away at Hearts to wrap up the league title in Rodgers’ first season in charge. The following year, Rodgers’ men repeated the feat at Celtic Park, thrashing Rangers 5-0 to secure back-to-back championships in style.
Fast forward to Rodgers’ return, and the script remains the same. Last season, it was a 5-0 demolition of Kilmarnock that sealed the deal on the road. And now, history has repeated itself yet again, with Celtic battering Dundee United 5-0 at Tannadice to confirm their fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title and the 13th in 14 years.
For a manager who has often spoken about style and standards, there seems to be something in the air when the title is within reach. It’s a strange quirk, but a fitting one for a side that doesn’t just want to win — they want to do it emphatically.
Tees for Tims – Jota Celtic
The Celtic Manager Lit Rip at His Players
After being beaten by the Premiership’s bottom club, the title party was put on hold. Interestingly, Celtic had just beaten Hearts the week before, scoring three goals and keeping a clean sheet. However, for the trip to Perth, Brendan Rodgers changed it up at the back, dropping Maik Nawrocki for Auston Trusty.
Nawrocki’s Dropped
Celtic fans questioned the call to drop Nawrocki, and now Jim Duffy feels that he was ‘unfortunate’ to be on the end of that ruthless call. Trusty, a summer signing, was the man to come in and slot in alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Duffy’s Verdict
Duffy questioned Trusty’s display in Perth, feeling that Nawrocki has more presence in his game. “I agree with you, in some aspects, because Nawrocki come in and he hadn’t played for such a long time,” said Duffy. “He was thrown into the deep end against Celtic, but he did very well for the vast majority of that game.”
Nawrocki’s Stats
Nawrocki has played four games for Celtic, impressing in his appearances. His stats include:
– vs Falkirk, League Cup (H): 5-2, 5 minutes,
– vs Raith Rovers, Scottish Cup (H): 5-0, 18 minutes,
– vs Celtic, Premiership (H): 2-3, 90 minutes, rating 7.05
– vs Hearts, Premiership (H): 3-0, 90 minutes, rating 8.05
The Debate
Duffy believes Nawrocki has a physical presence and drives forward with the ball more than Trusty. Will Rodgers reconsider Nawrocki’s role in the team?
