Brendan Rodgers reflected candidly on Celtic’s painful 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion, but the Northern Irishman dismissed the notion that this result should lead to an overhaul of his tactical approach, particularly when facing elite teams in the Champions League.
Speaking at his media conference the day after the heavy loss, Rodgers maintained that Celtic’s attacking philosophy remains the best way forward, despite the scoreline.
“I don’t feel anything. I’m not really bothered, that’s my honest answer,” he said.
“You can’t turn a tap on and off. I think if you analyse the game, you’ll see that we were trying to press the game in the static position and fall back into shape. That wasn’t to the level that we wanted on the evening.”
Rodgers was quick to point out that the very style that has earned Celtic plaudits throughout the season cannot simply be abandoned because of one difficult night.
“We play how we play,” he asserted.
“It’s the same plaudits that are commending our performances over the last number of months that allow us to get into this game with this incredible optimism that we can get a result.”
“You can’t just turn the tap back off and say to play super defensive. It’s just not how we play. So what do we do? Sit back and have 15% of the ball and lose 3-0? 4-0? We’ve seen teams over six months that come to us and sit back and play five at the back or 4-5-1 with no chance to attack.”
For Rodgers, the answer is not about retreating into a more conservative approach but rather learning how to sharpen his side’s play.
“Do you play how you play, but know that the mistakes you’ve got to sharpen your teeth in and you’ve got to be brighter and make quicker movements to close space? All these things are part of the learning process.”
He made it clear that he would rather lose on his terms than conform to a strategy dictated by external pressures.
“I’d much rather do that and go down with my own vision than listen to someone saying that who has never coached a game in their life or played, or whatever. I respect the opinion, but I don’t listen to it and never have,” he added defiantly.
Rodgers firmly believes that with time and adjustments, Celtic can be competitive at this level. The key, he explained, lies in reducing costly mistakes and improving game management.
“That’s the challenge. Like I said, I’m not a dreamer. We want to be competitive and I think we showed in our first game that if we’re at that level and do everything right, then we have an opportunity.”
“There are going to be games that are a challenge for us, but we’ll do our best to get the results that we want. We’ll be judged at the end of January and we’ll see where the points total takes us, but I have a real belief in the group, and how they’ve been working,” he said.
Celtic’s thumping at the hands of Dortmund was certainly a blow, but for Rodgers, there were still positives to be drawn from the overall journey.
“It was a sore one the other night, but like I said, there’s lots of critique around it and how you play. That’s never bothered me, we have a way of working, that same way that excites supporters and has got them really excited.”
“We’ll continue on that path,” Rodgers continued. “But you know and I know that we’ll bounce back to an even stronger position than we were before the game. Why? Because we’ll learn from it.”
As for the immediate challenge of lifting the players’ spirits after such a bruising defeat, Rodgers spoke of the importance of maintaining a calm and supportive atmosphere.
“I think it’s a reassurance with all of the players. I’m quite open with it, it’s not something we hide behind and pretend that it never happened. We speak about it and talk through it. The job of course is to stay calm and keep your poise and talk the boys through it. It’s learning and growth, and it’s horrible at the time,” he acknowledged.
The Celtic boss highlighted the resilience of his squad, noting that setbacks are part of football but that his side has shown an ability to bounce back from disappointment.
“When you’re in that environment and you’re a player, then that’s the challenge, but this group has real resilience. We can lose games, but we’ll have a great resilience. That’s a mark of this team, we showed it last season and we will show it again this season.”
Rodgers concluded by reiterating his belief in Celtic’s methods and their ability to grow from such tough experiences.
“We will just stay on the path that we are on. We believe in how we work and play, and we learn from games like the other night against top opposition.”
Despite the chastening defeat, Rodgers remains unwavering in his conviction that Celtic can develop into a side capable of competing with Europe’s elite. His message was clear: the process may be painful, but the long-term rewards of sticking to his footballing principles will ultimately be worth it.