Brendan Rodgers has been giving his reaction to today’s thumping 3-0 Celtic win over Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.
Kyogo Furuhashi got the scoring underway after four minutes, showing quick reactions to guide a header into the back of the net. The Japanese star was at it again in the 21st minute, latching on to Matt O’Riley’s glorious pass to finish smartly past Zander Clark.
O’Riley then stepped up to bang home a penalty late in the match after a handball infringement was noticed by VAR.
Celtic deserved their big victory. The stadium was rocking, the players gave their all and it made for a fantastic afternoon to be a Bhoys supporter.
The manager was understandably delighted in his post-match interview with BBC Radio Scotland, lauding what he witnessed at Celtic Park.
Brendan Rodgers delivers verdict on Celtic win over Hearts
The Bhoys boss told the broadcaster: “It was very pleasing. There was a great energy in the stadium today and the supporters were brilliant for us. Right from the off they got behind the team and the players responded to that.
“The game now, it’s not all about the players who start. For us and how we play, retaining that intensity is always going to be important. The guys coming into the game were able to make an impact. You see what Adam Idah brought, Daizen – the pressure and intensity. Overall they managed the game very well.
“Kyogo, he was so alive in the box for the first goal. I thought we were really dangerous today from our set-pieces. The delivery was really good. It’s a big credit to Gavin Strachan and Greg Wallace – they look after our set-pieces. He scores with a great header.
“The second goal was an incredible finish. What a pass by Matt O’Riley who was brilliant in the game. That is Kyogo’s strength, playing on the last line. When he does that you see what comes from it.”
Rodgers looks ahead to Rangers derby
When asked about the visit of the Ibrox side next weekend, Rodgers added: “It is a huge game. What really pleased me today was in a big game we had big performances and a big contribution from those players. That really sets us up well for next week.
“The guys were very, very good in their concentration. When they had to defend they defended well. Joe Hart obviously made a really good save for us also.
“Looking towards next week, we’ll recover a little bit, we’ll analyse, have a really good week’s training and then it’s going to be absolutely on fire here next weekend.”
Everything appears to be coming together for Celtic right now, doesn’t it? The fans are on board, there are no major injuries, the players are in good form and silverware is in our sights.
Bring on the Rangers, as they say.