Video: “That’s something that we always want to improve on,” Brendan Rodgers

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The Celtic Star

·30 de julio de 2025

Video: “That’s something that we always want to improve on,” Brendan Rodgers

The countdown to the start of the new season is well underway, yesterday we got the details on match officials who will handle the Celtic v St Mirren opener on Sunday afternoon and today Sky Sports have done their first interview with Brendan Rodgers at Lennoxtown ahead of the season starting.

Auston Trusty of Celtic FC (C) celebrates after scores the first goal during Como Cup match played between Al-Ahli and Celtic FCat Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on July 26, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

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There’s been no word from Celtic about fan media being invited along to the media conferences, that seemed to fade away last season anyway which is certainly a disappointment.

Here’s Brendan speaking earlier today about the pre-season build-up, the squad situation and his expectation that some new additions will be coming in ahead of the window closing. He also hinted at some incoming transfer activity this week.

Telling the Celtic manager stated: “The attacking department will always be the strength of my team, that’s something that we always want to improve on”…

And also this: “We’ve lost players and we want to replace those players with quality. So it’s not an opinion, it’s where it’s at.”

🗣️ “Preparation has gone really well…" 🗣️ “The attacking department will always be the strength of my team, that’s something that we always want to improve on” Brendan Rodgers on the shape of his squad following their pre-season tour ⬇️
– miércoles, 30 de julio de 2025

Brendan talks about it being about arithmetic and notes that the squad has lost some notable performers and these need to be replaced.

On new signings: “Yeah, well, we hope this week there might be some news on that,” Brendan said. “Coaches and the transfer market don’t move at the same pace. A coach always wants a player in immediately, but the transfer market doesn’t always work like that.

“There’s a lot that goes into it – but it’s also the reason for pre-season. You want your team together as quickly as you can so you can get some good work in, get the togetherness, get the spirit, everything formed.

“But, of course, we know that traditionally it can be a challenge. By the end of the window, hopefully that will be the case. In the meantime, we’re working very, very hard. We’re excited by what’s here at the moment and looking forward to the weekend.”

Celtic FC coach Brendan Rodgers looks on before the Como Cup match between Al-Ahli and Celtic FC at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on July 26, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“Listen, as I said, a coach will always want the players in. I think it’s arithmetic. It’s purely counting. We’ve lost players and we want to replace those players with quality. So it’s not an opinion, it’s where it’s at.

“We’ve lost key players and we want to replace those as quickly as we can in order to keep developing. I’m very hopeful that we can do that.”

However his focus is on the players already in the building and notes that the pre-season work has been outstanding with some very good performances in the build-up matches played, although that hefty defeat to Ajax is also a warning sign if ever there was one. That though wasn’t mentioned today.

Benjamin Nygren of Celtic Ajax v Celtic, Como Cup Pre Season Football, Football, Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Como, Italy – 24 Jul 2025Como Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia Italy. Photo Shutterstock IMAGO

“For us it’s tweaks because obviously last year we scored the most amount of goals in over 50-odd years of any Celtic team. So that tells you there’s a lot really good with the team. Clearly you want to improve each season.

“But I think the attacking department will always be the strength of my team. So that’s something that we want to always improve on. Whether that’s through tactical ideas or players, it’s an area that we always want to improve,” Rodgers said.

“For me the focus is very much on what’s here. We know we have work to do and I’m hopeful that we can get that done by the end of the window. But in the meantime, the players have worked fantastically over the course of this pre-season.

“It’s been nice with the guys are coming in. They’ve added that quality to the group. We’ve got some younger players coming in, like young Callum Osmand, who’s a young player for the future. It was a great opportunity for us to take him from Fulham, which was great.

Callum Osmand signs for Celtic. Photo Celtic FC

“We still have work to do in the market, but I’m really excited. The focus is really on the players that are here, of course, and they’ve been working very, very well. Hopefully by the end of the month (presumably end of August), as I said, we’ll be a stronger squad for the end of the transfer window.”

The Celtic team is likely to be along these lines at the weekend.

Schmeichel; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Tierney; McGregor, Hatate, Nygren; Forrest, Idah, Maeda.

Subs: Sinisalo, Ralston, Inamura, Scales, McCowan, Engels, Bernardo, Yang, Tilio, Yamada, Kenny.

INTRODUCING CELTIC IN THE EIGHTIES BY DAVID POTTER

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter will be published on Celtic Star Books on 5 September 2025 and we will have a limited number of copies signed by Danny McGrain for our pre-ordered copies

The link to pre-order your copy of Celtic in the Eighties, signed by the legendary Celtic captain Danny McGrain is below. Danny will sign a limited number of copies and these are selling fast so order your copy today. Danny has also written the foreword for the book which would have delighted David Potter!

Celtic in the Eighties is a fitting way for the late great David Potter to sign off as one of Celtic’s foremost historians. We think you’ll love it, especially if you were watching Celtic in the 1980s..never a dull moment!

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Foreword by Danny McGrain. Published on Celtic Star Books on 5 September 2025. Click on image to pre-order.

Help raise funds for Celtic Youth Academy by playing the Celtic Pools Weekly Lottery and you could win up to £25,000. The lottery is £1 per week. Click on image to join.