Brendan Rodgers has hit back at rumours claiming that Celtic need a new defender at the club before the January transfer get shut.
The Hoops boss praised his team’s ability to defend, saying he believes Celtic are “very good” at the back and that too much attention is paid to his central defence.
The Northern Irish man referenced Celtic’s Champions League season as being misleading to the club’s defensive abilities before questioning if signings could even help the team qualify.
Rodgers said, as quoted by The Scottish Sun:
“There’s a lot of focus on our boys defensively, but there has to be a bit of respect and reality as to who they are playing against.”
“Celtic didn’t qualify for the Champions League and they had Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayer at centre-half.
“Who do people want Celtic to get? If we can’t qualify with those two.”
““I hear a lot of talk about ‘get a new centre half’, but defensively our team I think is very, very good — albeit we could always be better”
In Celtic’s six Champions League fixtures, they conceded 18 goals, with seven of those goals coming in one match – against Paris Saint-Germain – last November. Watch all PSG vs Celtic 7:1 Goals & Highlights below…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxHfcXjK4pA]
Meanwhile, back at home in the Scottish Premier League, of which they’re leading the race to the title with 51 points above Aberdeen who sits second with 43 points, Rodgers’ men have only conceded 15 goals in 22 goals; which gives them the best defensive record in the league.
Football Weeks‘ view:
Brendan Rodgers seems frustrated by fans, critics and rivals believing the club needs a new defender. Looking at the club’s achievement in recent years, it seems the 44-year-old boss is right on his assertions. However, Rodgers hasn’t been backed looking at his side’s poor run in the Champions League. It would be stupid of Rodgers thinking that signing a top player in any position for the club wouldn’t improve their Champions League run. Perhaps he is just slamming the idea, as he believes that the Hoops are unable to sign a good enough player to help him.