“It’s been a challenging couple of weeks,” Brendan Rodgers

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The Celtic Star

·15 de septiembre de 2025

“It’s been a challenging couple of weeks,” Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers spoke to the media at Rugby Park after the dramatic 2-1 win over Kilmarnock that took Celtic back to the top of the Scottish Premiership…

Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The Celtic manager was asked about the controversial final moments of the match – pity no-one asked why John Beaton was going to give a goal kick rather than a corner before the VAR intervention. James Forrest’s shot only hit of two Kilmarnock players.

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Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Here’s Celtic TV’s Unique Angle….

Here’s everything that said….

John Beaton looks at the monitor at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: After the last-minute win for your team, what was your take on the game?

Brendan Rodgers: “Well, it feels great to get out on the pitch again and obviously to win. It’s never an easy game here at Kilmarnock. You see they’ve started well in terms of not losing games and it tells you the resilience that they have, but I thought we deserved to win the game. It was obviously very tight. First half we had moments, but not enough. We were a bit slow.

Benjamin Nygren looks on as James Forrest’s shot is blocked. Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“Obviously there’s lots of new players coming in, the connections in the team, so not maybe as fluid. But second half, once we started to feed the wide players quicker and get through the pitch quicker, then we were really dominant in the game, deserved to go in front. And, yeah, then we looked like we could go on to score another goal. But of course at 1-0 it’s never signed off because no matter how much dominance you have, you’re still only a goal up. We concede from the corner, that gives them a little bit of momentum. So then we have to really show our fight, resilience, but also our persistence to keep going right to the very end, and thankfully we get the win in the end.”

Kelechi Iheanacho scores the winner for Celtic at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: What was your take on the penalty incident?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, listen, I think if you’re the home team and you get that given against you then of course you may not be so happy. I think for myself, we create the chaos in the box, create the opportunity and then obviously we get that moment where it does pop up and hit someone on its way, maybe into goal. I don’t know, but it’s certainly on the one image I’ve seen. But like you say it pops up and hits his arm.

“I was really pleased with Kelechi Iheanacho, for him. I think the last penalty he took was for me at Wembley against Manchester City in the Community Shield, he stuck that one away and that was his other moment there, and I think that’s a big moment for him with the supporters and everything else. So, yeah, we got it, he’s still got to score and he scored it and then we take the win.”

Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates scoring the winner for Celtic at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Continued on the next page…

Q: It was almost a big player mentality. Is that what he’s going to bring to the club?

Brendan Rodgers: “He’s got big moments in him and once he gets fitter, he’s only going to get better. Obviously our penalty taker had been off the pitch. Benji wanted the penalty and had the confidence, which is great. But my message was for Kelechi. I know what he brings, I know the confidence he brings, and I also know what a goal would do for him. So delighted for him and for the team in particular because it’s been a long couple of weeks, but it’s a big win that for us.

Sebastian Tounekti is booked by John Beaton at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Were you happy with Sebastian Tounekti’s performance today?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, I thought he was, yeah, it was very good.

Q: Do you think more is going to come from him as well?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes.”

Benjamin Nygren at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: In terms of that celebration at the end, did it feel big? You know, the players celebrating with the fans. Did you almost feel the club needed that, just that unity again to bring them back?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, that’s what this club is about and that feeling and that Celtic spirit that keeps you going right to the very end, and obviously it paid off for us. So, I’m delighted for the players first and foremost, like I said, all eyes on them today. Difficult surface, everything we know about Kilmarnock, a difficult team to play against. But to come out and get the win and get that feeling. I’ve been here often enough, like some of the senior players, to know the importance of a win like that. Even early in the season, it’s an important victory that for us and, yeah, there we go. A really good one and sends everyone home on an awful day, really happy.”

Sack The Board banner at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Was it a tricky day to navigate with all the protests and certain chants etc?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, I’d spoken to the players at the hotel beforehand. I mentioned it yesterday, the importance of concentration. But I then talked through in the hotel, I talk a lot about the first five minutes with the team, but today was about the first 12 minutes. And what we needed to do in that 12 minutes and how we have to manage the situation and we had to be really clear on the performance on the pitch, what it is we wanted, the speed and the tempo, and we knew we could control all these things in terms of pressing and all that side of it and then obviously confidence.

The Celtic end at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“You need to go and play with that level of confidence. And, the players, there’s been a lot said and written and talked about but ultimately we get onto the pitch, we can control that. And just so pleased for them that they could get the win to get us going again on this next run of games.”

Sack The Board protest at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Did you feel a difference when the fans came in with the whole tempo?

Brendan Rodgers: “Well, I think we have to control whether there’s no one in the support base. I think what we talked about is that, you know, the supporters will give a new energy when they come in. And when the end’s packed, then you can see that, and you can feel that once the end was packed and everyone’s behind the team, and they can suck the ball towards the goal and especially that second half when everyone’s there.

But we have to as a team, understand that whether there’s no one there or whether it’s packed or whether there’s only half there, we can still control the tempo and the and the organisation and the speed and the intensity of the game. But of course, when you have the backing behind you, that just gives you that extra push and that extra energy and we certainly felt that.”

Q: Today could have gone wrong, given the protests and the last couple of weeks, but you must be really satisfied to put that noise behind you?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, very satisfied. It’s been a challenging couple of weeks and as a manager and a supporter of Celtic, I don’t really like that, to see that. I really don’t. For us we want to be always together and we always want to be the very best that we can be as a football club and the quicker we can find that, then the stronger we will be. Until that moment comes and there’s some differences which, you know, I will respect. I need to make sure that the team is focused and I manage the situation the best I possibly can to make sure we keep getting the results. And yeah, it is a challenge but that’s the job of the manager to deal with it.”

Continued on the next page…

Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: How did your meeting with Michael Nicholson on Friday go? Were lines being drawn?

Brendan Rodgers: “No, listen, Michael’s a good man. He’s a good man. I have a really good relationship with him and Chris McKay, because they’re the guys that I deal with day to day. We all know what it is we need to assess and look at and be better at. You look at Sebastian, you know today, if we have him in when we wanted to have him in, then it could be a different sport for us, you know, outstanding he was. So these are all things that we need to find clarity on and be better at. But in the meantime, the concentration’s on football.”

Marcelo Saracchi at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: How impressed were you with Marcelo Saracchi’s influence in the game? He got the assist, he was also playing a little bit inverted as well?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yeah, I liked him. He’s a player of experience. He can do that role coming in on the inside. He hasn’t played for a little while, so the plan was to give him an hour, and he did that very well. Just again, getting used to the adaptation to the system, he’s coming from maybe fractionally slower play.

Kieran Tierney at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“So for us we want to get the ball more progressive and get it forward quicker. In the second half he’s up there and it’s a brilliant cross from that half space, because we talk about that against back fives when you’re switching it and you’re working the ball. Making those crosses, it’s difficult for the other team to defend, and he made a great ball, and then that allows Kieran Tierney to come in and play the last 30 minutes or so.”

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