Brendan Rodgers on Celtic's stubborn goalless draw at Atalanta
23/10/2024
uefa24
Stadio di Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
23/10/2024
uefa24
Stadio di Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00Hi, good evening. Just kick off, please, as soon as we can with questions. BBC, thanks.
00:08Brendan, congratulations on the point. How close is that to an ideal template for an away performance in Europe for you?
00:17You certainly need it at a team of this level. The concentration in the game was superb and you need to have it.
00:28The talent that they have, you're talking about the highest goalscores in Italian football.
00:32So to come here, play with that concentration, that commitment and still carry a threat and the danger when we had the ball was very, very pleasing.
00:43The players showed great courage, concentrated on what it is they had to do, defend the box well, shift, slide and it was a really, really good point for us.
00:56The players could have been forgiven perhaps for being a little bit spooked by what happened last time out in Europe.
01:02So what does it say for you about their mentality to be able to cast that aside, put it away to bed and deliver the performance they did tonight?
01:11I mentioned before that sometimes games like that are the great games to learn from.
01:20If you look at Borussia Dortmund last night, they conceded five goals in the second half. It's just the level.
01:26I'd reiterate it to them after the game, of course we don't want to feel like that again, but I felt there were things that were outwith their control in that game.
01:35We're talking 80% of a game you can control as a coach and a manager and a player, but there's 20% that you can't, which is referees, decisions, luck that goes against you.
01:44In that game in Dortmund, we had two penalties against us and a couple of deflected goals, so all of a sudden you're four goals down and it's a challenge.
01:56I never doubted the players and their mentality. We responded straight after that game and won our next game.
02:05Then we come away to a team that are, like I said, so, so efficient going forward with the quality they have, the power that they have.
02:15For our players to concentrate, stand up and fight and have that dignity in the performance, I was so proud of them.
02:23Some terrific defensive displays from your side tonight, Liam Scales immense again at the back.
02:28Can I ask you about two of your newer guys in Auston Trusty and Alex Bailly, who arguably had their biggest games in a Celtic jersey tonight?
02:37You know you've got to defend, and especially you've got to defend the box well.
02:42I thought the two centre-halves, Auston made some big, big headers. Scales has been doing that for a long time.
02:48He defends the box so well. And then, like you say, for a young player and Alex coming into this level.
02:57The team does at times. I thought we played through their press really well at times.
03:02Got into some really good positions and then we get a little bit excited and we give it away, but that's just experience.
03:07That's taking steps at this level where you can then slow the game, change the rhythm of the game and retain the ball a wee bit better.
03:17Defensively, absolutely brilliant. Concentrated. Like you say, the two boys coming in to the back line were outstanding.
03:25But, as was the team, they defended very well.
03:29Can that be a real breakout performance for Auston? Because with Cameron out, people may have had question marks over the centre of defence,
03:35but the performance that he and Liam put in, can that really kick on from that?
03:39Yeah, not from our perspective. I think that the guy's filling in and doing amazing.
03:43Playing off his unnatural side. He's playing on that right side. Clearly, he's a left-sided defender, so it's a lot more smoother.
03:55But what he gives us, he gives us a physicality, which is very important for us.
04:00He can win the race, so he won't get outdone for pace.
04:03And you see him tonight, balls in the box. He's made some big, big headers tonight.
04:08I just think, again, it's time. He's learning at this level as well.
04:12He's new into these first Champions League performances and certainly he will grow from that also.
04:18Just given the format of the competition, the quality of opposition tonight, just how valuable do you feel that point is at the moment?
04:24Well, I think if you look at our opening three games, to have four points out of that, I'm so, so happy with that.
04:33The first game, we were absolutely brilliant in everything offensive, defensive. I think the Dortmund game speaks for itself.
04:39We learned from that. We come away to a top team with big, big talents and keep a clean sheet to gain a point.
04:49So the four points after three games is equal to what we had last year.
04:55So we've five games to go. Hopefully we can look to our next game and look to gain more points to end up where we want to in January.
05:03But a really, really big confidence boost for the team tonight.
05:08What can this do for the players going forward to take on to the next games?
05:13Well, it gives them the confidence that you can defend against a top team.
05:19I said that. I'm not sure whether that was pragmatic enough for people tonight. I don't know.
05:24But we go out in every game to be structured and defend well. You know you're going to get pushed back.
05:30But I think the confidence that it gives you when you can defend against the very best teams at that level and that concentration, then it'll give them a huge boost.
05:43Brendan, as the game went on and on, it really didn't feel, watching it, as if they were going to score.
05:48I don't know. Do you allow yourself to feel that way or be that comfortable about it or can you just not do that?
05:54Yeah, I felt in the first half they got through a few more times than maybe the second half.
06:00I felt as the game wore on that we were able to break through it.
06:04We were able to defend well and then break through it and come out of the press with just a wee bit more cleanliness in our pass and tidy up on our touch.
06:14We could have sustained it a little bit more but you're never comfortable until the final whistle goes, especially against a top team.
06:22And sometimes the luck that goes against a Scottish team, they get the corner with 20 seconds to go and will they score?
06:28But we stood up and we're counting it tonight and we defend it manfully.
06:36Any more questions? No? All good? Thank you very much.