Brendan Rodgers isn’t opposed to putting Rangers in their place off the field either, even though he has their number on the field.
The Celtic manager is getting ready for what could be his biggest derby matchup as the Hopos’ manager. The stakes are extremely high for Philippe Clement’s team when they go to Glasgow on Saturday for their final Premiership match of the season. With two games remaining, a win for Celtic would all but guarantee them the title, giving them a six-point lead and an advantage in goal differential.
All Rangers need to do is win to maintain their ambitions. It appears that Rodgers’ insistence that his players will “have some fun” against their opponents has infuriated Clement. Although we won’t know for sure until weekend, Record Sport journalist Chris Sutton believes that Aaron Rodgers has gotten under his rival’s skin. until isn’t the first time the blue half of the city has taken offense. Record Sport looks back at some of Rodgers’ more effective Rangers baiting moments throughout the years.
Who is Pedro Caixinha?
Rangers were organizing a strategy to attempt to challenge the dominance of their rivals, as Rodgers was closing in on an unbeatable first season as Celtic’s manager. The Portuguese manager Pedro Caixinha was chosen by the Ibrox club to return hardware to Govan when Graeme Murty’s interim position came to an end in the summer.
North of the border, few people anticipated Caixinha’s appointment, as he was mostly unknown outside of Portugal and had managed in Qatar prior to joining the Rangers. Furthermore, Rodgers didn’t know him; when questioned about Caixinha’s arrival, the head coach of the Hornets gave a direct response, saying, “I have never heard of him.”
55 propaganda
In nearly the same sentence, Rodgers charged that the Rangers were spreading “propaganda” about his 55th league championship. Before the 2016–17 season, the club embraced the slogan “going for 55” in their marketing materials. Fans also launched a massive tifo display with the same message ahead of the opening game.
Furthermore, Rodgers gave his players acclaim for speaking their minds and acting accordingly on the field. “They clearly had the sincere belief that they could win the league,” he remarked. But to get here, we just completed our tasks, discreetly assembled the squad, and focused on the growth and development of the players. We could be able to go past them with this game and move on.
I just think that was the message that was out there from them. It’s pretty clear that was the message, but all you can do as a team is your own work and our players have been brilliant at that. I wasn’t surprised that message was out there because I was new into it and I had no thought for it either way.”
Mentally scarred
Rodgers faced Rangers six times in 2016/17, winning five of them and drawing one, scoring 14 goals in the process. Ahead of his first encounter with Caixinha’s Gers, Rodgers couldn’t resists bringing up their miserable derby record and was sure it was bound to leave some cars on those who had endured a torrid time of it in light blue.
There will still be scars there. There’s no question about that,” he said. “If you’ve played six games and beaten an opponent five times and drawn one and been really convincing in a number of those games then it’s hard not to feel something.
“Players are only human. In that type of scenario after the third or fourth game there’s a feeling of ‘What’s going to happen here?’ But we prepare for it as a new game and a fresh challenge for us.”
See you in May
A indirect barb upon Rodgers’ return to Parkhead for his second stint last summer. Of more importance to the Irishman was soothing tensions that still lingered from his abrupt departure in February 2019 to Leicester City. He was self aware enough to realise that his comeback wasn’t going to be universally accepted.
The only way to make fans forget is by winning trophies. Rodgers gets that more than anyone, and predicted in his start of season address that he’d be back to talk to his doubters this month – presumably with at least one trophy in the cabinet. The League Cup was wrested away from them by Rangers, but there’s still a league crown and Scottish Cup to win, so Rodgers way well back up his pre-season words after all.
When I left here four years ago it was probably one of the saddest days of my life. I went on to a different challenge so I regret if anyone stood here or at home were hurt, as I know I hurt many people.
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