BRENDAN RODGERS has ordered his Celtic players to forget a record 10 in a row.
Instead, the Hoops boss has told his stars to concentrate on achieving their eighth successive Premiership title.
Rodgers said: “I hear the fans singing about 10 in a row, but for myself, players and the staff, it’s about eight in a row. Forget the other two – just go and get the eighth.”
The Parkhead men require three more league flags to reach a decade of domestic domination, but the Irishman is simply focused on continual improvement.
After winning a historic double treble last term, the Irishman is eager for another silverware clean sweep and he is refusing to look beyond the next 10 months.
He said: “Is the target to win it all again? Whether it’s a target or not for me, it’s the demand of this club.
“Every competition you enter at Celtic, you enter it to win. Reaching the groups of the Champions League is a huge task for us. Domestically, though, you have to try to win every trophy.
“I tip my hat to the players for how they’ve performed in the past two years. But it’s exactly the same idea this season.
“There is a hunger to improve again.
”You do your talking on the pitch. I see the players’ work-rate and intensity. There is a real collective spirit.
“Odsonne Edouard coming in as a signed player is big because the players see his quality. And we have others who are evolving and developing.
“For myself? I have a brilliant staff here
“They understand the philosophy and ideas of how we play. As the manager, it’s my job to lead that.
“It’s about getting the player profile right. You have to recruit hungry players. Once you get the right types in, you can affect them.
THAT’S MY BHOY…Odsonne Edouard dinks No.3 over Rosenborg keeper Andre Jansen.
“For our players, this is an era when they can have a really successful period at Celtic.
“The beauty and exciting thing for me is seeing them grow.
“We’ve never had a lazy day, from myself all the way down. It’s intense, relentless and the culture is in place.
“The players want to be successful, they want to win things and get better. You need to have a vision of where you see it all going.
“You must have values in how you work and if you create that culture, it will bring you the rewards.”
Rodgers admitted he is anticipating a stronger challenge from his Premiership rivals in the forthcoming campaign which kicks off with Flag Day against Livingston in the east end of Glasgow on Saturday where club legend Danny McGrain will do the honours.
And he revealed that he has not watched any of Steven Gerrard’s games in charge at Ibrox so far.
Rodgers said: “I haven’t seen Rangers yet under Stevie, but I know the league will be strong this year.
“Aberdeen always do well. Hibs, Hearts and Kilmarnock under Stevie Clarke – you can’t speak in isolation about a challenge.
“I expect it to be really competitive and every team will be hard to beat.”
