Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says his side won’t get caught up in the moment as they look to secure back-to-back trebles this season. The Hoops have already won the League Cup, are in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup and are on course to win their seventh consecutive league title.
Celtic have dropped points in two of their last four league games, but Rodgers played down talk of his side feeling any nerves as they close in on the title. The Bhoys are top of the Scottish Premiership with 75 points from 33 games, 13 points clear of second-placed Rangers and could seal another league crown in a matter of weeks.
Rodgers said, in quotes reported by the Daily Mail:
“The history is not weighing on us. We just have to do our job,’ said the Celtic boss. We set ourselves targets and goals and one of them was to win the league. Winning the Scottish Cup was another.
“But it doesn’t cloud our thinking. We still come in and enjoy our work. I tend not to think about the other stuff too much. If you get wrapped up in the whole history or the expectation, then you put yourself in a pressure trap. You don’t need that.
“I am here to win, but I am here to get the team playing well enough to win, and hopefully that will continue in all of the games until the end of the season. It’s important the players relax and stay focused – and avoidance is a good way to do it.”
Celtic beat Motherwell 2-0 in the Scottish League Cup final to seal a second consecutive triumph in the competition under Rodgers. The Hoops face fierce rivals Rangers in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup on Sunday which could be their third trophy of the season.
Rodgers’ men are under a lot of pressure to re-write the history books. They title looks all but sewn up given the distance between first and second, but Sunday’s Old Firm derby in the cup semi-final will be the biggest game of their season.
It’s certainly Rangers’ biggest game of the campaign so a commitment performance from every one of their players is expected. Celtic can’t take anything for granted.