Brendan Rodgers insisted he has “by no means labored more durable” to search out on‑area solutions after Celtic fell eight factors behind Hearts within the Scottish Premiership with a 3-1 defeat in Edinburgh. The house staff's win means the champions have misplaced again‑to‑again league video games and brought solely 17 factors from a doable 27 of their newest title defence.
Rodgers denied he has misplaced urge for food for the battle. “I've by no means labored more durable in all my time right here,” the Celtic supervisor stated. “So the motivation is there to try to flip the degrees that we're at. It's completely high-quality, it's nonetheless so early. I believe that's the important thing level in all of it.
“Hearts have made a implausible begin, received the factors on the board, however there's a lot soccer to play. We've simply received to hold in there at this second, discover these performances, discover the outcomes and hopefully our ranges will enhance because the season goes on.”
Rodgers did admit he confronted a problem in altering the mentality of his squad. “We now have to fill the gamers with confidence,” he stated. “The context of right now is clearly disappointing within the recreation and the end result. However there are 29 video games left.”
Derek McInnes once more performed down the prospect of a primary championship flag at Tynecastle since 1960. No staff apart from Celtic or Rangers has received the league since Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen in 1985.
“Celtic spend hundreds of thousands and so they pay hundreds of thousands in wages, much more than we are able to ever do,” the Hearts supervisor stated. “They, palms down, have gotten so many benefits over each different staff within the league on the minute together with ourselves. However we do really feel as if there's enchancment in us.
“There's a lengthy technique to go. If this was after the second spherical of video games and we had been sitting within the place then it is perhaps a wee bit tougher for me to sit down right here and say what I'm saying. However on the minute, it's simple to say what I'm saying.”
