Soccer

Brendan Rodgers believes Aberdeen’s resurgence can help Celtic improve

Both sit on 28 points at the top of the William Hill Premiership.

Celtic’s Callum McGregor and Aberdeen’s Jamie McGrath during the recent league draw
Celtic’s Callum McGregor and Aberdeen’s Jamie McGrath during the recent league draw (Jane Barlow/PA)
By Gavin McCafferty, PA

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes Aberdeen’s resurgence can help his own team improve as he welcomed the challenge from the Dons.

The teams will each put their unbeaten domestic records this season on the line at Hampden on Saturday in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.

Both sit on 28 points at the top of the William Hill Premiership, nine points above Rangers, with a 2-2 draw at Parkhead last month the only blip in either team’s domestic campaign.

When asked whether he felt Aberdeen’s form was a good thing for Scottish football, Rodgers said: “Yeah, I think it’s brilliant. I think it’s great. Whether it is football, or whether it is business, any competition is healthy and it’s what makes you better.

“You will always drive your own standards and your own standard of performance, absolutely. But competition is really, really healthy and can keep moving you forward.

“And Aberdeen are up there fighting as well, and everyone will expect Rangers to be there at some point, there will be other teams, big clubs from Edinburgh will feel they want to be up there challenging as well.

“So I think the more competitive, then of course that can improve you.”

Aberdeen finished second in both of Rodgers’ two full seasons in his first spell in Scotland and were runners-up in three of the five domestic cup finals he won in that period.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin shakes hands with Gavin Molloy after the 2-2 draw at Celtic Park
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin shakes hands with Gavin Molloy after the 2-2 draw at Celtic Park (Jane Barlow/PA)

The Dons, then under caretaker Peter Leven, also took Celtic to penalties in last season’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup last four before Rodgers went on to clinch a double. So the Celtic manager has not been surprised by their form under Jimmy Thelin.

“It’s a great credit to them in their first 10 league games that they have played with that consistency and done really, really well,” he said. “They have really good players.

“Jimmy has come in and done a fantastic job and he has a good coaching staff behind the scenes too.

“And I always expect Aberdeen, because of my first time up here, to be up there challenging. Derek (McInnes) had a great period. So I always expect them to be there. To see them up there is not a surprise, and when I see how they perform, they are playing very well.”

Brendan Rodgers with the Scottish Cup last season
Brendan Rodgers with the Scottish Cup last season (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Rodgers has a perfect record at Hampden in 11 matches and will aim to impart that experience on to his players.

“It’s just ensuring you stay calm in your approach,” he said.

“It’s about that balance between being super-aggressive when you haven’t got the ball, showing that hunger to get it and being defensively organised. And then play with calmness and speed when you have the ball. That’s something we have always preached.

“Every game is a big game for us so the mantra this week isn’t so different. When you are a Celtic player or manager, every game is huge and, obviously, a semi-final at Hampden is also a big game.”