Brendan Rodgers was upbeat after watching Celtic draw 0-0 with Hibernian at Celtic Park, describing his side’s display as “excellent” despite the result. The Hoops dominated the match in terms of possession and chances created, but could not find the goal to turn their control into three points.
Raphael Sallinger denied efforts from Daizen Maeda and Callum McGregor, while Marcelo Saracchi and Kelechi Iheanacho both struck the woodwork.
Rodgers’ team looked in control for long spells, and the manager turned to his bench to try and force the breakthrough. Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Paulo Bernardo, James Forrest, Benjamin Nygren and Johnny Kenny were all introduced, but while the substitutions added energy, they could not change the outcome.
He said: (Sky Sports), “Well, I think from a performance perspective, I thought we were excellent in the game.
“I think if you look at every metric in the game, we were very dominant.
“Two centre-halves dealt well with any long balls.”
Rodgers made it clear he feels the basics are in place, even if the finishing touch is still missing. He pointed to Celtic’s dominance all over the pitch and praised the way his centre-backs dealt with Hibs’ physical threat.
Supporters, though, are less interested in metrics and more focused on results. Controlling games and racking up possession only go so far if the ball doesn’t hit the net. With Hearts moving two points clear, even good performances need to be turned into wins.
There were positives at the back, with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales keeping things secure and ensuring Hibs rarely threatened. But with Celtic creating 26 attempts, attention inevitably shifts to the other end, where chance after chance went wasted.
Rodgers may take encouragement from how his side played, but unless the forwards start converting opportunities, the frustration inside Celtic Park is only going to get louder.
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