Thursday 11 August 2016 07:37, UK
Brendan Rodgers feels Celtic still have improvements to make despite them turning on the style with a 5-0 thrashing of Motherwell in their Betfred Cup clash.
Striker Moussa Dembele and midfielder Tom Rogic helped themselves to a brace apiece while forward Scott Sinclair notched on his Parkhead debut to set up a home game against League One side Alloa in the quarter-finals.
Discussing his side's progress since he took over from Ronny Deila in the summer which manifested itself in a thumping of Well, the former Liverpool boss said: "We still have a way to go.
"We can still be better times, I said that to the players afterwards.
"But what is pleasing is that (after) they showed that resilience on Sunday (to beat Hearts 2-1), tonight there was a wonderful football demonstration but also a real aggression in the game in terms of our intensity to win the ball.
"But we still have a way to go, we won't get carried away. It is still very, very early and if I can get one or two in before the window shuts I would be very, very happy and that would set us up for the rest of the season."
On the draw, the Hoops boss said: "As long as it was a home draw, no matter who is it.
"We love to play here and I sense the players are excited about being here. I certainly am but we will respect Alloa like we will any other team."
Rodgers praised midfielder Rogic, who signed a new three-year contract on Tuesday, and winger James Forrest, who also agreed a new deal earlier in the day which ties him to the club until 2019.
He said: "I think you have seen with both those players the level they were at. James with his pressing to get the ball, his movement with the ball and Rogic looks a wonderful footballer. He is an Australia international and he has a lot of injuries but we hope he can stay fit because if he can you can see his quality.
"For James it is about consistency. I think everyone can see he clearly has talent. If he can play to the level I think he can play at I certainly want him here. When you see him in the mood he was in tonight, he is a real help to the team."
After coming off the bench to score the winner against Hearts on Sunday hours after his move from Aston Villa, Sinclair was impressive as he notched again on his home debut.
Rodgers said: "I think he will be a joy to watch for the Celtic supporters home and away and for people in Scotland.
"You have an English Premier League player who has decided to come up to here to love his football and enjoy it again. He was outstanding."
Motherwell boss Mark McGhee, whose side lost 7-0 at the same venue on the last day of last season, insists other teams this season will suffer even more than his side did.
The former Celtic striker said: "I don't think for a minute that will be the worse result for a team here this season.
"If their finishing was a bit better it could have been more, and our goalkeeper played exceptionally well. There will be a day when someone's goalkeeper doesn't play as well as that and their finishing is better.
"We played against a really good team tonight with players who were on top form. The two wide players (Sinclair and Forrest) and Rogic, we couldn't handle them and overall we were outclassed.
"I was a little bit disappointed in certain aspects of our game, regardless of the result. We could still do better at certain things, we could have kept the ball better albeit when we did win the ball back we were tired. But I don't think we are going to beat that team playing the way they did tonight."
