Brendan Rodgers has revealed his reaction to Hoops supporters booing a back pass in the first half this afternoon at Celtic Park.
With Rodgers at times looking for greater patience with his team on the ball, it often works perfectly.
However, at Ibrox on Thursday, it led to Rangers winning the ball high up the pitch, and supporters who witnessed this can’t be blamed for having reservations over the same movements just three days later.
The Irishman, however, was visibly angry post-match and was quick to reveal how he feels supporters can be more supportive during games.
He said: (Clyde 1 Superscoreboard),”When it was 0-0 for the first twenty minutes, we made a backward pass, and the crowd got onto the team. That cannot happen—one, if you know about football, and two, if you can understand that when teams come here, they are going to make it really difficult. You can’t turn up every single week and be 3-0 or 4-0 up in 20 minutes. Teams are well-organised, teams are well-set-up. You have to work the game, so sometimes you have to play a backward pass to change the point of attack. That’s why I was proud of the players.
“This is a point: I don’t need the cheers when it’s 3-0 and the support when it’s three, four, and five nil. This team needs it. The amount of games they are playing and how we play—you only need to look at the facts and how this team plays to know that they are an attacking team, a creative team that creates goals and scores goals. So when we decide to go back to change the point of attack, clap the players. Don’t panic. Don’t start getting onto them.
“So for us, if we play a backward pass or sideways pass, it’s to change the point of attack, and the players deserve more. The players deserve the trust, and that was my annoyance today because at 2-0 or 3-0, it’s great, but we need the support when it’s 0-0, especially amidst a run of games where there’s so many games, and you might be a fraction fatigued, but we don’t mention that. We want to attack. Look at our numbers, look at our stats—trust the team, trust the manager.
“If you don’t, just trust the team, trust how they play. We’ve seen it consistently now. It’s not like a year ago where it was a bit slow. Players are getting used to it. The consistency of the team has been incredible, and the level of the team has been at such a high level, but support it, and you’ll get more out of the team.”
Strong words from Rodgers that may divide the Celtic support, with the Irishman looking to criticise a lack of patience this afternoon in particular.
Fans pay their money and can react how they like to backward passes if they feel the decision was wrong.
However, Rodgers’ point is that it does not help the players’ confidence or the momentum of the game, especially when Celtic are at home.
The Hoops’ home support is often viewed as the 12th man, and Rodgers wants to see greater support in moments where Celtic are in tightly contested moments.
So when Celtic are drawing games and decide to play the ball back to invite greater pressure and look to play through sides that just want to defend, Rodgers believes supporters need to have greater patience if this current Celtic side is to reach another level, particularly in the Champions League.
Kasper Schmeichel, also made a great forwards pass through the middle of the St Helen miren defence.
Only to have it passed back, as he ran back.
Just one of those things he did, to alleviate his boredom.
And the fans boredom toooooo.
Deflect ,deflect ,deflect, he knows he, and our flat track bullies have no excuse for the hun game, so looks for a diversion, criticising the fans for booing negative play, and hurting wee Gregs feelings. I don’t know a single fan who wants Taylor out, excellent backup player, it doesn’t mean that they are unaware of his failings under certain circumstances, and if they were, they only need to listen to the comments of opposing managers who have openly said they target our weak link, Taylor, fans didn’t say this, opposing teams did!.
As for fans having the temerity to criticise negative play, I think paying to watch allows them this ‘luxury’, after seeing the same play destroyed against the weakest hun team ever!.
Try dropping his captain maybe, who contrary to popular opinion, was the worst player on the park in the hun game, with many to choose from, with Hatate it seems ,carrying the can, or perhaps even learning how to have a plan B.