BRENDAN RODGERS declared himself “satisfied” after watching Celtic overcome spirited Sligo Rovers 3-2 in a rousing friendly at the The Showground last night.
Luis Palma neatly tucked away a late double to complete his hat-trick and rescue the Hoops from a loss against the fired-up League of Ireland outfit.
Rodgers enjoyed the occasion, but had a stern word of advice for the youngsters in the team who got the opportunity to impress the Parkhead gaffer on this occasion.
Aspiring kids such as Francis Turley, Lewis Dobbie, Samuel Isiguzo and Sean McArdle were among sprinkling of prospects utilised in the match and the boss said: “It was a really good exercise for us.
“A lot of our senior players got 90 minutes in their legs which was great.
“It was much better in the second-half than the first. We had better tempo, better rhythm and more speed in our game, so we were very good in that period.
“It was excellent to come out here to Ireland against Sligo. It was a great little test for us with how they played and worked. Overall, I’m really pleased.”
Quizzed on the learning curve for the young players involved in an exciting and entertaining encounter, Rodgers, speaking to Celtic TV, answered: “I think it’s physicality – and a lot of them need to improve on that aspect.
“They need to have more running power and get into contention more. They have talent with the ball, but it’s nowhere near enough.
“That physicality will allow them to play at a higher tempo, but it’s nice for them to feel that and play out there in front of a crowd and play with that personality that you need to play for Celtic.”
The Hoops team chief didn’t single out individuals for special praise, but remarked: “Some of them did really well.”
Rodgers also praised his opponents and continued: “Yeah, very good. You can see why they’re a top-six team in the League of Ireland. They’re fighting for European football and are at a good level of fitness.
“They passed the ball well and with confidence. It was a really good test, especially for some of our boys who haven’t played for a little bit of time.
“As the game went on, we were just more aggressive, pushed into a higher starting position and that allowed us to attack a lot more. You saw that a lot more in the second-half.”
Images courtesy CELTIC TV.
The Hoops manager added: “We’ve got a couple of free days now. I’ve got a foundation event down in London with the club, so I’m looking forward to that.
“A little bit of rest, but then planning for an exciting game against Aberdeen. I’m really looking forward to that.
“It’s been a long period of games – seven in 23 days – so some recovery time then we’ll look forward to having everyone back for the Aberdeen game.”
PALMA’S 3-GOAL REMINDER IN LATE, LATE SHOW
