Football

Brendan Rodgers Picks Out ‘Exceptional’ Celtic Performer vs Leipzig – And It’s Not Kuhn

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29s ago

Nov 07, 2024 / 2060 Views

Evan Walker

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers spoke about Hoops midfielder Reo Hatate’s impact against RB Leipzig.

Hatate ran the Game from midfield, capping off his hard work with a goal.

He seemed to be all over the pitch in one of his greatest performances in the green and white Hoops.

With Brendan Rodgers making some interesting comments about his performance.

He said:(BBC Sport), “I thought he (Reo Hatate) was brilliant, I’ve got to say. He was aggressive.

“With Reo, when he’s pushing and pressing like that, his Football comes alive.

“I thought he was exceptional.”

Hatate at times cuts a frustrating figure, but when he’s at the top of his Game like tonight, he is unplayable.

He is the sort of midfielder that every team needs, willing to take the ball in dangerous situations, willing to take risks to win the Game, and never letting a mistake affect his next decision on the ball.

The Celtic midfielder showed when he joined the club in 2022 that he was capable of performances like tonight, but the big difference is Rodgers’ ability to coach him to counter-press.

Hatate’s work rate under Rodgers has gone up a gear, and that was clear to see tonight in his desire to win the ball back.

2nd January 2024; St Mirren Park, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, Scottish Premiership Football, St Mirren versus Celtic; Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers grabs Reo Hatate of Celtic with a hug after the match

It’s the one aspect of his Game that was questioned, when midfielders don’t press, they are often seen as lazy.

But for Rodgers, counter-pressing isn’t just a buzzword, it’s the foundation of this Celtic side.

Their aggressive ball-winning creates chances and makes them look even more dangerous than they did under Ange Postecoglou, which is saying something, considering the levels the Australian had the Hoops playing at over his two seasons in charge of the club.

Celtic have added that hunger to reach new levels, with the goal this season to progress to the next round of the Champions League.

Given how difficult this has proven over the last decade, the ruthlessness under Rodgers has enabled the Hoops to press even Europe’s best teams into submission.