“Our ambition is there to win and win for this great club,” Brendan Rodgers

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·21 de abril de 2025

“Our ambition is there to win and win for this great club,” Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers gave his assessment to the media after Celtic dismantled St Johnstone 5-0 at Hampden Park yesterday afternoon. The Hoops will now face Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final next month where they will look to secure a sixth Treble in nine years…

Brendan Rodgers after the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi Final match between St Johnstone and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Your thoughts on the game, Brendan?

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Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, such a great performance, obviously St Johnstone made it really difficult for us in that first period and it is when you’re playing against that sort of man-to-man, you have to work so hard to rotate and be flexible in your movement to create the space. Once we then did that for the first goal, we got the runner off the marker and Callum finishes. From that we really set the tempo of the game. It was very impressive and a big applause to the players because they were so good in the game.”

Callum McGregor opens the floodgates. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Is that something you put extra emphasis on this season, that even if the breakthrough takes a while, that once you get it, the foot goes to the floor again and then the game can almost be won within the next 10 minutes or so?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, I spoke before to the players about my thoughts going into this game was this was about having the humility to get the work in because once you’re a team that’s won it, then it becomes even harder because you have to work even harder because teams are trying to stop you and they have that fight and they put that extra per cent in to stop you.

Callum McGregor. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“So, it’s having that humility to run, to work and then after you do that, it’s the end of the ambition in the game and that’s what we showed today, even in the first half. The second half we came out and our messaging was to make sure we retain the tempo, keep the speed in the game, keep the pace in the game, attack the game, press the game and hopefully more chances will come. And they did come, but we didn’t quite finish them.

Jota. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“But that’s a huge testament to the players because, as I said, we needed to respond from the St Johnstone game, which two weeks ago wasn’t acceptable for our club. But the response of the players now, they’ve had two games done by half-time, but still showed the ambition to keep going.”

Callum McGregor. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: How important has your captain been this season, arriving in big goal-scoring moments as well as his general all-round performance?

Brendan Rodgers: “He’s just such a special player. I’ve had him in two spells now and managed him for so many games. He’s a real tactical decision-maker in the game. He sets the tempo for the team. He’s a coach on the pitch for me. He knows the patterns that we want and he identifies the moments when to step in. Because you’re playing against man-to-man, there’s little patterns that freeze you up to be going forward. And he’s done it so many times for me, especially here at Hampden, where he gets such important goals. He gets the first one, creates the second one. Just a brilliant captain of this club. And, yes, he was so good today.”

Callum McGregor, St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Potentially two games now, Brendan, from a ninth treble. That would be six in eight years, which would be quite remarkable. Your team look as if they’ve really got their eye on it now?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, I think it’s been such a long season with so many games. And I think we’ve had one or two performances within that, which is natural, that maybe weren’t quite at their best. But what I’ve had with nearly two years of this team is just making sure that mentality, you’ve got to keep pushing. It’s the time of the season where the trophies are there. The supporters want it, we want it. Then it’s about, you’ve got to perform.

Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“So, yes, we’re into another final. That was the big ambition from today. And give us that opportunity against Aberdeen in a month or so’s time. But now we go into a little sort of mini-league, where we want to be the best in that little league. And that next game is down to United to get the result to draw a line on to the league. So, yes, it’s a really exciting end to the season for us again.”

Q: If you do win a treble this year, you’ll be the first Celtic manager in history to have won three trebles with the club. Does that motivate you personally in any way?

Brendan Rodgers: “Clearly, yes, it does. Three-point-one it will be as well. Yes, of course, it’s nice when it comes to you as an individual. But for me, it’s what’s best for Celtic and us winning the trophies. Because it’s not so much the trophies for me on a personal level. It’s the hard work that goes into it. The values that are there and the idea of how we work and how we play and how we coach the players every day. So, that’s what’s more important to me. But, of course, for the club and the history and the supporters, getting the trophy is key. So, for us, we’ve got two more to win. And we’ll recover and get ready to finish off the league.”

Adam Idah. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Were you delighted for Adam Idah to score?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, he had a couple of other moments where he could have been in there. It’s where he has to be. That’s where our strikers get so many cross balls, low crosses into the box. That’s where he needs to be in that moment. So, great move, great run, cross and he was there to finish.”

Liam Scales. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Your thoughts on Liam Scales performance alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, I think when you’re playing against that system where it’s so important that your two centre-halves are able to step in and distribute the ball with that quality. And Liam did that. He’s a fantastic player. Liam makes the great ball, but it only goes in there because of the run. Reo’s run was there and he squares it and it’s a good finish.”

St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Your record at Hampden is incredible isn’t it?

Brendan Rodgers: “I think I’ve always tried to approach these like it’s my very first time. I never get tired of it. I never expect it. The preparation and the mentality, because I know each game is harder. Because the teams are really motivated to win. But there was nobody more motivated to win than me. To keep the club succeeding, demanding more from the players and our staff. And that’s why we have success.

“Nobody goes through the motions here at Celtic. We never get too carried away when we win. We have to keep our humility because we know we have to work even harder. But our ambition is there to win and win for this great club.”

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