Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hailed his players for making sure there was no let-up in their approach as they finished 2024 in typically dominant fashion.
The William Hill Premiership champions completed a memorable year with a 4-0 victory over St Johnstone, extending their lead in the table to 14 points over a Rangers side that host Celtic on Thursday.
Rodgers described his side’s performance as “outstanding” throughout the game as Kyogo Furuhashi’s double and a strike from Daizen Maeda added to Nicolas Kuhn’s first-half opener.
Maeda’s strike made it 139 goals for Celtic over the course of a year which has seen them collect more trophies than defeats. With all three domestic trophies in their cabinet, Celtic only lost to Hearts, with 10 men for most of the game, and Borussia Dortmund.
A new year will bring an immediate test against a Rangers side in dire need of three points but Rodgers was delighted to see his players display an exemplary attitude against the bottom club.
“Our focus was nowhere else but here,” he said. “We wanted to perform, we wanted to put effort into the game and get the three points. We did that in a really charismatic way in the game with our football and our confidence in the team.
“It was so pleasing, especially in the midst of a really busy period.”
Rangers fought back from two goals down to draw at Motherwell but still ended the week five points worse off in the table than they started. But Rodgers is not concerned with the standings ahead of the New Year derby.
“Our mindset is very much focused on performing well, attacking games and then let’s see what it brings us at the end,” he said. “But we’re not even at the halfway point. I think that’s the thing, there’s still such a long way to go for us.
“In the table we’re at the halfway point after Thursday’s game. I’ll have a look at it but ultimately, it’s now about preparing and going to Ibrox to play how we want to play.”
Rodgers added: “I’m just so pleased with what 2024 has brought us in performance and statistics.
“As a guy who’s managing the club and has the privilege to do that, I look back on this season and I’ve got the privilege of managing the team but also from a supporter’s perspective. This will be one of those seasons that will be historic in terms of what we’ve achieved statistically.
“That makes me really proud, seeing that game and seeing what the players have given, you can see the mindset that’s very much established here to win and win in the best possible way.
“I thought last season was one of the best coaching seasons of my career in terms of what I was coming into. This season has just been a joy to work with the players and seeing them evolve and develop and how I want them to work.”
Saints manager Simo Valakari called for his players to learn from their experience. His side only had one shot at goal and did not manage a single touch in the Celtic box in the first half but were undone for the opener after losing the ball on the halfway line.
“We need to have almost a perfect day and the opponent needs to play below par,” he said. “Unfortunately for us it didn’t happen.
“We have a lot of own problems ourselves, we need to fix them, but sometimes you need to respect the football the opponent plays.
“It’s 89 minutes, it’s 4-0 and they don’t let us breathe. They just come and come and come. So if we can learn from the best, it’s very good for our process.”
