RODGERS REVEALS CELTIC PLANS

BRENDAN RODGERS has revealed he plans to bond with his Celtic players when he leads them to Slovenia tomorrow in preparation for the Champions League qualifiers.

The new Hoops manager’s first competitive game in charge of the reigning champions will be away to either Estonian side Flora Tallinn or Lincoln from Gibraltar on July 12 or 13 with the return the following midweek.

Celtic, under Ronny Deila, have drawn a double blank in their efforts to qualify for the money-spinning group stages over the past two campaigns.

Rodgers said: “It’s early yet, but I am doing my assessing and, so far, what I’ve seen has been very positive.

“The attitude of the players has been very, very good, which is always refreshing. We have taken a great first step and now we go to Slovenia for what should be a very valuable couple of weeks for us.

“When you’re away on trips like these, you get to know the players better, you understand more about them, you talk to individuals more. There we will start to form that special togetherness as a group that you need, because you can’t do anything without that.

“You can have the best team, but if you don’t have that spirit and togetherness, you won’t succeed.

“It also gives me a chance to assess how the fitness is coming along and time to work out what the most stable system and shape is going to be for us.

“I like my teams to be flexible tactically, but that’s going to take time.

“Physically, we’ll work on the fitness. Tactically, we’ll give them a better idea of the game and socially, it’s a chance for us to be together and get closer.

“It will be good, but at the same time it will also be intense.”