Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers says victory at Aberdeen will not end Scottish Premiership title race
Friday 28 October 2016 09:15, UK
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is refusing to believe victory at Aberdeen on Saturday will see the race for the Scottish Premiership title all-but over.
The Hoops head to Pittodrie with a seven-point cushion - and a game in hand - over their closest rivals following their 4-0 victory over Ross County on Wednesday evening.
The previous night saw the Dons slip to a shock 1-0 defeat against Hamilton at New Douglas Park but Rodgers, who made eight changes for the trip to Dingwall, is taking nothing for granted ahead of the Sky Live showdown.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News HQ, the Northern Irishman said: "Irrespective of the result on Saturday there is still a long way to go in the season.
"We have made a terrific start playing at a really high level with a tempo to our game. We have players who are improving all the time and hopefully the team's performance will improve over the course of the season.
"Others may be looking at it (being all over) but we don't. For me it is always about the next game coming up and can we take the confidence of our start into that game. The next game now is Aberdeen. We know it will be tough for us but we expect that and it is one we are looking forward to."
And Rodgers says he had no hesitation in making wholesale changes to his side for the midweek trip to Dingwall, insisting he has the utmost confidence in any player he drafts into his squad.
Following the Betfred Cup semi-final victory over Rangers at Hampden last Sunday, Rodgers chose to rest a number of first-team players including Tom Rogic, Kieran Tierney, Jozo Simunovic and Scott Brown, whose wife gave birth to his third son earlier in the day.
"I just felt with the games we had leading up to last night, plus the next three games after that, that it would put too much of a demand on the same players playing in those games," he said.
"Especially when I have very good players who haven't been playing. It also gave me a chance to look at them away from home, away from the comfort of Celtic Park with 60,000 fans behind them.
"Could they cope, could they play with that intensity and pressure and they responded very, very well and it was pleasing from that respect."
Leigh Griffiths and Patrick Roberts were two of the changes against County and Rodgers admits both enhanced their chances of a return to first-team football following spells out through injury.
Roberts, on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season, opened the scoring and had a hand in the other three goals, while Griffiths was a constant threat to the home defence for most of the evening.
Asked if there is a danger of Griffiths trying too hard to score and force his way back into the side, Rodgers added: "No, he doesn't have to do that and I have said that to him.
"He started the season brilliantly before he got injured and came out of the team. Similar to Patrick Roberts really. Both outstanding players who were in the starting XI at the beginning of the season, but who both got injured and were out for a period of time.
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"But the two players who have come in have really taken their opportunity. James Forrest and Moussa Dembele have come in and done really well but I am well aware of the qualities of the other two.
"Patrick scored one last night and was involved in the other three and he is an outstanding talent, a great player to have whether he starts or comes off the bench and Leigh is a top class striker who, if he gets opportunities will score. He has just got to keep fighting, keep preparing and be ready when called upon."
