BRENDAN Rodgers may not always have necessarily agreed with Neil McCann’s analysis of his Celtic team during the former Rangers winger’s time as a television pundit with Sky Sports.
But he most definitely approves of his decision to swap his microphone for a tracksuit and move from his comfortable vantage point in the studio into the rather less cozy surrounds of the dugout.
McCann, whose Dundee side host the defending champions in the Betfred Cup quarter-final at Dens Park tomorrow evening, surprised many in Scottish football with his sudden change of career last season.
He gave up the role with the satellite broadcaster he had built up quite a reputation in during the previous eight years to take over as manager at the Tayside club where he had launched his career at 25 years before.
Having helped them secure their place in the Ladbrokes Premiership he promptly stood down - only to return two days later on a permanent basis.
Rodgers can appreciate why his opposite number hankered after a return to the game and admitted he respected him for opening himself up to the sort of criticism he used to dole out.
“I am delighted for Neil,” he said. “He speaks very well about the game when I listen to him – most of the time! He has come out, he has given it a go, hasn’t been put off by it and has come back for another go.
“I have an admiration for him. Probably a lot of the boys would like to do it. Some of them have done it and it hasn’t quite worked out. It is hard to have that feel for what it’s like unless you have been stood in the shoes with the spotlight on you. There is not a job like it.
“It’s not like being a first team coach or an assistant manager. Once the curtain goes back and the light is on you as a manager it is a different sport. You can talk about it, you can analyse it, but until you are under that pressure you will never, ever know what decisions you will make.
“That is why it is great that Neil has come out of the studio and is actually feeling the pressure of having to win.
“I am sure he will want to win in a certain way and play a certain style of football. But you have to be able to get that across to players and get that information out. To do that consistently is a lot more difficult.”
Rodgers revealed a statistic which perhaps accounts for the incredible consistency shown by his Celtic side since he took over as manager last summer – he has only fielded the same starting line-up two games running once.
The only time the Northern Irishman has done that since arriving in Glasgow was in the William Hill Scottish Cup match against St. Mirren back in March when an identical side to the one which had beaten Inverness Caledonian Thistle four days earlier took to the field.
The former Swansea City and Liverpool manager, who made five changes to his team in the match against Ross County at the weekend and still watched them romp to a 4-0 triumph, feels that has been pivotal to their run of 55 domestic matches without defeat.
“There has only been one time I’ve played the same 11 players,” he said. “If you check back over all the other games you’ll see that I’ve always changed the team. There’s never been the same 11 that’s played.
“But that’s an understanding the players have been aware of since the first day I came in. If you’re going to be playing 60 plus games a season with the intensity and demands of running that I ask of the team, the same team can’t do it.
“So what’s important for me is to recognise it’s not just about 11 players, it’s about the squad. Then everyone understands how we play, the demands of how we want to play. That’s always been the mantra and the players have bought into that, they know they get enough games.
“Of course, there come periods where you have to pick teams for big games and big occasions, but they also respect they are all big games here.
“I know some will say back 20-years ago everyone played and they get paid enough money, but that’s nothing to do with it. Money is nothing to do with mental tiredness and travel and all that emotion that’s in football.
“You want consistency in performance and that’s just about ensuring the players are constantly coached and understand the methods of you playing.
“We had a real compliment a few weeks back from Alan Archibald, he came to watch us play against Kilmarnock and, even though we’d made all the changes, felt it the clones coming in and playing in the same way.”
Celtic have three important games in the space of a seven days coming up; after playing Dundee in the Betfred Cup tomorrow they face Rangers in the Ladbrokes Premiership at Ibrox on Saturday and then Anderlecht away in Belgium in the Champions League the following Wednesday.
Rodgers, though, stressed that he would not be looking any further than the meeting with McCann’s side.
“I don’t tend to forecast too much ahead,” he said. “I have in my mind ideas for other games, but the sole focus is on this one here.”
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