BRENDAN Rodgers today stressed that Celtic and Rangers managers are judged by how their team fares in matches against their city rivals as he prepared for the William Hill Premiership game at Ibrox on Thursday.
Rodgers has lost just one of the 20 derby fixtures he has been involved in during his two spells in charge in the East End of Glasgow – the 1-0 defeat his men suffered in Govan six years ago yesterday.
The Northern Irishman’s opposite number Philippe Clement has lost five and drawn just one of the six Old Firm games he has experienced since arriving in this country in October last year.
The Belgian, whose team fell 14 points behind the Scottish champions in the league when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday, is under intense pressure heading into the first match of 2025.
Rodgers argued that beating the team on the other side of the River Clyde is of paramount importance to somebody in his position - and pointed out the fate that Giovanni van Bronckhorst suffered just months after leading Rangers to the Europa League final in 2022 to emphasise his point.
"It is where you are judged at this level, working at Celtic or Rangers,” he said. “I think you are judged in these games.
“I saw Giovanni van Bronckhorst get to a European final and then lose his job not long after because he was losing to Celtic. That is a huge measure here of any manager and I'm fully aware of that, I always have been.
“Winning is very, very important. Winning against your greatest rivals is very important and the progress of your club is important.”
But Rodgers revealed that his impressive personal track record in the world-famous fixture is unimportant to him at the moment and emphasised that his only focus is on securing another victory over Rangers for Celtic fans to celebrate.
"It might do later on in life when I reflect on it, on the games I've been in,” he said. “I don't think of that, I think of these like I'm going into my first game. I'm excited by it, excited by the preparation and the game and what the team can deliver.
“I don't feel any extra kudos because of it. We want to go in there with a professional mindset and work how we have been working - consistently well - and feel the pressure, but play under the pressure. This is what we train for.”
