Rodgers Addresses Half-Time Team Talk

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has discussed his half-time team talk against St. Mirren that shifted the Game in the Hoops’ favour with the score 0-0 at the break.

After a lacklustre first-half display, the Hoops came out firing on all cylinders in the second, with a Reo Hatate strike just seven minutes into the half, followed by goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah.

Rodgers said: [BBC Sport], “It was nothing overboard, I felt in the first half we were a little bit passive in our pressing and counter-pressing. When you’re like that then, with the ball, it’s not quite so aggressive.

“We arrived into the final third on numerous occasions and didn’t keep it well enough to combine and sustain the attack. Or we arrived or tried to get in too early.

“It was just a case of highlighting the patience of the Game and maintaining the speed of the Game. Once we got the goal early in the second half, the combinations were there. It’s a great finish by Reo (Hatate).”

Undoubtedly, Celtic looked like a different side in the second half, with the Irishman’s wise words certainly changing the course of the Game in how to exploit St. Mirren’s defensive weaknesses.

Celtic will be looking to find greater consistency in Games though, as at times they have only impressed in halves of matches rather than for a full 90 minutes.

But with just five league Games left, the Hoops appear to have found their form just at the right time of the season.