Brendan Rodgers Defends Celtic’s Set-up Despite Dortmund Thrashing

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has defended his tactical set-up despite a damning defeat to Borrusia Dortmund last night, admitting he wouldn’t have set up any differently against the Germans, regardless of hindsight.

The Bhoys fell to another embarrassing European defeat as a rampant Dortmund team put seven past them in a night to forget.

Emre Can, Karim Adeyemi, Serhou Guirassy, and Felix Nmecha all found themselves on the scoresheet against a hapless Hoops side.

From the off, the Bhoys didn’t look up to the task. They were second to every ball and played a high defensive line, which was continually exposed.

Dortmund were also more than happy to beat them in the press as they overran the Bhoys in midfield, too.

Most fans would agree that Celtic’s approach to Games like last night’s needs to change, but Rodgers doesn’t think so.

In response to events at Signal Iduna Park yesterday evening, the Celtic boss was asked if he’d change his tactical set-up and approach the Game differently, in hindsight.

“No, not really,” he said (BBC).

“I think it’s one we went in high on confidence, the team has been playing ever so well, we felt in a really, really good place.

“I think we needed to start the Game much better than we did. We gave away cheap goals.

“There’s certainly issues positionally we would have to be better in.

“We got punished for passes and loose bits of play which at this level, like you seen tonight, they will punish you [for].”

These heavy European defeats are becoming all too familiar for Celtic fans.

The club is continually humbled by bigger sides whose level is too much to handle.

Whether the Hoops’ tactical approach will alter in these types of Games remains to be seen, but one can’t help but feel it does need changed for the Bhoys to have even a slight chance at comPeting.