Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers insists he’s relishing the prospect of going through Rangers after the Outdated Agency rivals have been paired within the Premier Sports activities Cup semi-finals.
A 4-0 win over Partick Thistle at Firhill noticed the defending champions guide their place within the final 4, with Russell Martin’s males defeating Hibs at Ibrox on Saturday.
Final season’s finalists will now go toe-to-toe for a spot within the Hampden showpiece in opposition to both Motherwell or St Mirren, with Rodgers’ aspect having didn’t beat Rangers over 90 minutes since final September.
That could be a run spanning 4 matches, however the Celtic supervisor feels a renewed sense of confidence is constructing in his crew – and believes they are going to be a unique animal to the aspect who laboured to a 0-0 draw at Ibrox final month.
‘No matter crew you play within the semi-final, going to Hampden, I believe that was vital for us to get again there,’ stated Rodgers.
‘There are numerous video games between at times, and hopefully we are able to construct the rhythm and continue to grow and arrive in a superb place for the semi-final.
Brendan Rodgers was delighted with efficiency of his crew in 4-0 win over Partick Thistle
Sebastian Tounekti was the star man, scoring his first objective for membership in a convincing victory
Protests have been by no means distant, nonetheless, with followers displaying their anger with the board
‘Ibrox wasn’t an awesome recreation for each groups, to be sincere. My solely fear is Celtic, however we weren’t in our greatest place, regardless that in different occasions in the event you go to Ibrox and get a degree it is likely to be deemed okay.
‘For me, it was nearly trusting the crew and trusting how we work. Extra importantly, trusting the gamers, which I do – and I can see the fluency beginning to arrive.’
Regardless of a optimistic efficiency which noticed new signings Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho impress, a lot of the main target was on occasions off the pitch as Celtic followers continued to protest in opposition to the membership’s board.
An amazing majority of supporters held up banners and chanted in opposition to the membership hierarchy, simply days after Celtic’s annual accounts confirmed money reserves simply shy of £80million.
‘I’ll by no means inform the supporters what to do or really feel,’ stated Rodgers. ‘However I do not suppose they’ve forgotten the crew, they continued to help them.
‘The gamers really feel it and so they get inspired by it. They gave us nice backing all day.
‘I used to be actually happy with the efficiency and the outcome. It’s important to be actually skilled, and we have been. The gamers handed it properly and created some actually good moments within the recreation.
‘We’re constructing. It is exhausting to undergo 9 months within the season being sizzling. With all the things occurring within the window, it is taken a while for gamers to come back 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 objective in cup conflict
Rodgers has phrases of encouragement for Luke McCowan after he scored objective No4
‘I can see the fluency and the rhythm of the crew rising every day.’
Rodgers was requested about Tounekti’s contribution, with the winger scoring his first objective for the membership alongside efforts from Yang-Hyun jun, Liam Scales and substitute Luke McCowan.
The supervisor stated: ‘He excites me each time he will get the ball and that is what we have been determined for within the crew.
‘He is are available in actually aggressive.
‘He is a very gifted boy as a result of he can go both method and likewise, not solely that, he can run in behind.
‘You see the numbers of occasions he makes runs. Generally he does not get it, generally he does, however he is operating off the ball as properly.
‘I am actually excited for the place he’s and the place we are able to convey him to. However, importantly, supporters will love watching him as a result of he is so thrilling.
‘I believe that whenever you come right here and in the event you look by means of the historical past of this membership, it is suffering from wonderful wingers and that is the soccer we play.
‘The DNA of this membership relies on attacking soccer and that’s with wingers on the aspect of the pitch that may take folks on, beat folks.
Crumpled up items of paper needed to be retrieved from the pitch at the beginning of the sport throughout a protest by followers
‘Each time he will get the ball, you simply sense the joy and that is what we’d like on each side.’
In the meantime, Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney accomplished 90 minutes for the primary time since returning to the membership in the summertime.
Tierney has been working his method again to full health and was happy to lastly get a full day’s work underneath his belt.
‘If you happen to look again the final couple of seasons, it’s been stop-start for me so it isn’t going to be so simple as simply are available in and be 100 per cent right away,’ stated the Scotland defender.
‘That’s why I have been so fortunate with the gaffer right here and the crew right here that they’ve given me time. Little by little I will construct it up, but it surely was a superb 90 minutes to get underneath my belt as properly and I really feel nice.’
