BRENDAN RODGERS is obviously a great believer in the maxim: “Snooze and you lose.”
The Celtic boss, preparing his team for tomorrow’s game against Hearts at Tynecastle, is pushing his players all the way as they compete at home and in Europe.
He said: “That’s the big-club mentality. You can’t have a lazy day.
“You always have to be prepared to be better, no matter how you feel. When I came here it was about a commitment. It wasn’t necessarily about motivation. Motivation is about how you feel and you’ll never feel 100 per cent.
“It was what I committed to, no matter how I am or how I feel.
“I’ve committed to doing my maximum here and that means preparing the staff and the coaches in the most proper way.
“It means early mornings and late nights, to make sure they get the best preparation.
“Yeah, you need to come out of the battle at times, but it’s early morning to late at night. Even when I get home in the evenings.
“There will be a couple of hours of family time then I’ll be on the computer, looking at sessions plans or whatever. It’s the life, but it’s a privileged life.”
Rodgers added: “There’s a long way to go once we get to January, but it has been a tough run of games.
“I have nothing but admiration for the players.
“It’s not just what they’ve done in the 69 games – it’s what they have done every day in training.
“It’s what we do to shape that mentality because if they feel they can go lazy in training then they will feel they can go lazy in games.
“They might not have been always at their best, but they have always given their best and their qualities come through.”
A Celtic State of Mind presents its 27th instalment of insightful discussion around the culture of Celtic Football Club, the city of Glasgow, and fans of the reigning invincible Scottish champions.
Paul John Dykes and Kevin Graham are joined by Wembley hero, Jim McCalliog, whose winning goal against England in the 3-2 win in 1967 has gone down in folklore.
Jim takes us a walk down memory lane and looks back on a remarkable career that took in spells at Leeds United, Chelsea, Wolves, Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester United.
Jim also lifts the lid on the reason behind his refusal to sign for his boyhood heroes, Celtic, when Sean Fallon came calling.
The CQN Podcast has gone from strength-to-strength over the last few months, and there are many more guests lined up in the months ahead from the world of sport, music, film, art, broadcasting, literature and politics.
Connect with A Celtic State of Mind @PaulDykes, @thecqnpodcast and @CQNMagazine and subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or through your podcast player.
Listen the latest Podcast on CQN at the bottom of every article published – and there are many every single day of the year!
