Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says that Falkirk gave his team their toughest test of the season before finally succumbing to defeat in their League Cup quarter final.
The Championship leaders led twice at Celtic Park, before a host of reinforcements from the Celtic bench in the last half hour of the contest allowed the hosts to power away from their tiring opponents.
Despite the eventual 5-2 scoreline, Rodgers was hugely impressed by the fight that Falkirk put up under the leadership of his friend, John McGlynn, and said that they provided Celtic with a stiffer test than any team so far this season. Quite the compliment, as Celtic have already faced Rangers and played their opening match in the Champions League.
When asked if Falkirk had posed his team the toughest challenge of the campaign to date, Rodgers said: "Yes, I thought Falkirk were excellent. I was expecting it, to be fair, which is why we tried to freshen the team up, because they give good energy and move the ball well, so they work you.
"It was a little bit disconnected for the first 60 minutes, and that's on me, it's not on the players. When you make eight changes like that…I wanted to get some players in and play in the stadium, get in their first minutes of the season, playing with the team.
"In some moments, we looked good, and in other moments, there was just that little bit of hesitancy. That comes from just not playing so much. But we knew we always had the bench to pull on if we needed it, especially in that last 30 minutes where Falkirk put so much into the game, and then the energy can maybe just start to get sucked a wee bit.
"We could then put some speed and tempo and rhythm into the game, and by the end, we were very good.
"It’s a huge credit to John, his players and his staff, because I had a real joy analysing them and seeing how they play, and seeing how they commit to attacking football. I really wish and hope that they can go on and get promoted, because they play a fantastic style.
"I said that to John afterwards [that it was our toughest game of the season], and I'll tell him again.
"I think that you can see the confidence that they have from last season, getting promoted and coming into this season, where they've won five out of five, playing well. So they trust their ability, and they've got some players with a good profile in key areas.
At half-time, I said, ‘we've got work to do’. But I also have real confidence in this group of players that they have that mentality and resilience, that when they are suffering in a game, they can pull themselves through, and by the end, we were very good."
Rodgers was delighted with the impact of his substitutes late in the game, particularly Nicolas Kuhn, who helped himself to two assists and two goals to take full advantage of the weary legs in the Falkirk backline.
"Man of the match in 30 minutes, it's quite nice, isn't it?" he said.
"It was fantastic when he came into the game. He's developing into a really, really good player, being effective, which is what you want with him, without the ball. His press as well for the third goal, when we scored the equaliser, and then he's there to win the ball off the full-back, plays it forward, and then we get the third goal.
"He had two different types of finish. A great finish into the bottom corner, then the other one he's got time to think. Does he go around the keeper with his speed, or does he dink it? And he finished it really well.
"You want your attacking players to create goals, score goals, and they did that."
