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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Robbie Hanratty

'Step in right direction': Sutton believes Rodgers showed he can adapt Celtic tactics

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was heavily criticised for his tactics when his side were thrashed 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund in early October. 

The inquest following that away clash rumbled on, however the Scottish Premiership giants took positive steps to redeem themselves in the UEFA Champions League as they earned a credible 0-0 draw with Atalanta this week.

It might not have been a victory, yet former Celtic striker Chris Sutton believes Rodgers has learned his lesson from the previous humbling and urged his old club to "keep playing the right shots" on the continental stage.

The Hoops have four points from their three fixtures so far and sit 20th in the 36-team league phase.


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"Brendan Rodgers returned with a clear target of making progress in the Champions League," the Celtic hero wrote in his Daily Record column.

"Bergamo provided key signals for the future as well as the firm steps in the right direction. Rodgers had every right to be satisfied with his work. He’d had to listen to some utter garbage in the wake of Dortmund about his coaching, that it was one-dimensional and that he couldn’t adapt.

"With four points from three games, Celtic are probably one under-par in golfing parlance and they need to keep hitting the right shots.

"The adaptation was obvious. You only need to look at the selection of Adam Idah up front to see that. Just as in Dortmund, the question for Rodgers was the same as it is in any big European game. Is our build-up play better than the opposition’s press?

"By picking Idah, I’d suggest he didn’t, unlike Germany, think Celtic could always pass their way out against that man-for-man Atalanta push, so he adapted it to suit."

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