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Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Spiky Brendan Rodgers rails against Celtic transfer question as simmering 'frustration' emerges
Irked Brendan Rodgers has shut down questions over potential incomings during a spiky post-match interview after seeing off Falkirk. And the Celtic boss insists that, if he can't get new signings in the door before next week's Champions League clash with FC Kairat, he'll happily go into it with the squad he has. Rodgers watched his side comfortably dismantle the Bairns to book a spot in the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup but it wasn't long before the post-match questioning led to their transfer business, or lack thereof. READ MORE: Arne Engels earns fierce Celtic defence as Brendan Rodgers hits out at 'negativity' towards record signing READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers creates his own Celtic headaches for Champions League after Falkirk domination – 5 talking points BBC Sportsound's Alasdair Lamont quizzed about any potential incomings before the Champions League showdown. But a frustrated Rodgers replied: "I don't know, I have just come out of the game here. We will wait to see, we have named the squad before the gam. if not that is the squad that we are going with." Pressed on if he was optimistic about getting any deals done, he said: "Ok, let me repeat what I have just said. I have just finished the game. During the 90 odd minutes of the game, I don't know anything. I don't know anything. There might be, but there may not be, but we have the team that we have." Speaking immediately after the terse exchange, pundit Pat Bonner heard some 'frustration' in Rodgers' voice as he said: "Al (Lamont) has got to ask the questions, that is what is job is. The manager obviously has no information for him, and he will be getting a little bit frustrated because this question is going to be asked from now until the end of the window." Rodgers though was a happier customer on TV after the game as he told Premier Sports: "Our whole idea is to be as prepared as we can by the end of the window. "Of course I'd love to have other players in, you saw tonight we had a midfield player wide and putting Scalesy into certain positions as well. So we need reinforcements. But I don't want to keep harping on about it. "I don't need to beg for players that we need. We work with the players who are here, they're doing great, and hopefully we'll get reinforcements by the end." Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here. Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chun
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Celtic globetrotters used to brutal journeys even if first world problems get lost in the shuffle
Alistair Johnston isn't the only member of Brendan Rodgers' squad who regularly racks up the air miles in between matches It's the longest journey possible in European football to a city that's a hop and a skip away from China. But Alistair Johnston insists the mammoth trek to the far end of Kazakhstan will be a walk in the park for Celtic' s regular globetrotters. The Hoops are determined to go far in the Champions League but this wasn't quite what they had in mind. Brendan Rodgers men will face FC Kairat in Glasgow on Wednesday night for the first leg of their £40m play-off showdown. And they'll need to finish the job the following week more than 3,500 miles from home – before returning to take on Rangers at Ibrox. If the Celts went that far in the other direction they'd end up in Chicago. Johnston knows what's up ahead and he admits it's going to be BRUTAL. But there are plenty of Hoops stars who know what it takes to do the business on the pitch after going long haul. The defender – who will be 7000 miles from his Vancouver home – said: 'We've quite a few guys that do it pretty regularly. Obviously, the Japanese boys, myself, (USA aces) Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers. 'It's not fun, I'll tell you that much. It's pretty brutal, it'll be a bit of an eye opener to the European boys who are used to a little hour or two's flight away. 'When you're crossing an ocean or going through five to eight different time zones, it really adds up and makes it difficult. 'I'm curious exactly what the plan's going to be with the travel, but ideally as you try and get there a little bit earlier, acclimate and just get ready to go. But then at the same time right after that you're coming back and it's going to be a really difficult test away at Ibrox. 'So, there's things like that where you need to be able to plan and rely on the squad. 'It's a big couple weeks here for us. But all of us international boys who are used to those long distance travels obviously will try and help out with some tips for the other guys. 'The longest I've travelled? Japan was a brutal one. I don't think people understand how far that is. 'It's like an 8-hour flight from here to Dubai then another 8 hour flight from Dubai to Japan. 'With Canada, anything on the West Coast is really difficult for us. We've had some travel days that have probably added up to about 24 hours and you come back a little groggy, then you're right back into the facility the next day to get training. 'You get used to just keeping the wheels going and getting back on the horse. 'Sometimes you can have a match on a Tuesday night for example, you can't fly out until the Wednesday, you land whatever time it is Thursday. And often I've come in on the Friday morning, trained then got on a bus up to Ross County and played Saturday morning. 'It's stuff like that that I think gets lost a little bit in the shuffle. But at the same time, we get paid pretty well to deal with that stuff. 'And it's definitely a first world issue so it's not something we complain about too much.' Johnston's not going to lose any sleep over the jaunt – it's all about the journey to the Champions League. And he's convinced Celtic are in top shape going into the first leg after an unbeaten start to the domestic season and a sizzling show against Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup win on Friday. Johnston – who notched a stunning second goal in the 4-1 stroll – said: 'I think that that was exactly what we needed. Obviously, it was the first time playing under the lights at Celtic Park, It's a bit of a different atmosphere, a bit of a different feel with a night game. "I think it reminded everyone that this is what it's going to feel like. It prepared us well for what's to come. 'The pressure is going to come with it, it's a massive two-legged tie. We know everything is in the balance but we're excited for it and there's nothing more you could ask for than other guys getting a good performance, getting some more minutes into some of guys' legs. 'From guys who have played big minutes already so far this year and guys that came in, everyone's in a pretty positive note with their performances. We're in a really good place right now.' Johnston has been hooked on the Champions League since he landed at Parkhead and he reckons the Hoops new boys are in for a treat. He said: 'For the new guys that have come to the squad, there's that hunger. They're not really understanding what it is, they've heard of it but they haven't felt it. 'It's a great moment whenever you get to play at Celtic Park under the lights on a Champions League night. So that's something that is now our task over these next week and a half – to go out and make sure we get guaranteed a whole group stage of it.'
