Brendan Rodgers in Defiant Message About Celtic’s Champions League Style of Play

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has sent out a defiant message about Celtic’s European style of play.

The Hoops were hammered 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening, leading many to call for the boss to set up his team slightly more conservatively versus bigger sides.

Even before midweek, Rodgers had taken several drubbings in previous seasons in charge of Celtic against Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Atletico Madrid.

Nothing is changing, but Hoops fans are sick of seeing their team be embarrassed by big scorelines in Europe’s premier club comPetition.

Despite this, the manager tactically sets his team up for matches against elite teams as he does for regular domestic Games versus SPFL cannon fodder.

Supporters want continual thrashings to become a thing of the past.

Rodgers, however, says he will implement his own Game plan regardless of calls for Celtic to play more defensively.

“You can’t just turn the tap back off and say to play super defensive,” he said (Celtic FC on YouTube).

“It’s just not how we play. So what do we do, sit back and have 15 per cent of the ball and lose 3-0? 4-0?

“Or, do you play how you play, but know that the mistakes you’ve got to sharpen your teeth in and you’ve got to be brighter and make quicker movements to close space?

“I’d much rather do that and go down with my own vision than listen to someone saying that who has never coached a Game in their life or played, or whatever.”

Rodgers seems set in his ways, but he needs to find the right balance to avoid continual embarrassment on the continent.

Seeing how Celtic set up against Atalanta in a few weeks should be intriguing.

The Italians deserve the utmost respect, having won the Europa League last season.

If the Hoops are as open as they were midweek, they could be in for yet another long night in Bergamo.