BEAMING Brendan Rodgers hopes the stirring 2-1 comeback win over Sturm Graz will prove to be the turning point for the faltering champions.
The Hoops have been unconvincing since the start of the season and have rarely shown even glimpses of what they produced in the previous campaign.
The shocking early exit from the Champions League at the qualifying stage against Kazakhstan minnows Kairat Almaty clearly drained most of the players of confidence.
LOOKING UP…Brendan Rodgers has high hopes for Celtic.
Rodgers is hoping last night’s Europa League victory over the Austrians – the club’s first success in the competition at the third attempt – will give them a much-needed boost as they prepare for a quick turnaround and a crucial Premiership crunch against Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.
The Hoops go into the encounter in the knowledge a defeat will leave them trailing Derek McInnes’ Edinburgh side by EIGHT points.
A setback in the capital was not in the manager’s thoughts, though, as he reflected on a job well done against combative opponents who led for an hour after taking a 15th-minute lead through a whizzbang 30-yarder from Tom Hovart that exploded high into the net over Kasper Schmeichel’s right shoulder.
Liam Scales levelled with a fine low drive and Benjamin Nygren headed in the winner in the 64th minute after another fine pinpoint delivery from a set-play by Arne Engels.
Rodgers said: “I thought we were brilliant. I mentioned beforehand that with pressure you can go two ways.
TRUE GRIT…Brendan Rodgers hails his battling players.
“You can either make progress or you can crumble – and the performance of the players showed that they progressed so much on this occasion.
“We really dominated a very good team in Sturm Graz. You can see the goals they’ve scored and the physicality they have.
“It’s always about the performance. I always feel that when we perform then we hopefully get what we deserve and we got that.
“I’ve said before that there are always games in your season that can be the turning point and I think that this was all-round performance against a good side.
“Now we have to recover because we have a big game on Sunday and we have to put that same energy and focused mentality in to that game.”
The Hoops gaffer took some stick for his Honda Civic/Ferrari remark following the abject display from his team in the dire 2-0 loss to Dundee at Dens Park on Sunday.
SMILES BETTER…Brendan Rodgers plays the joker.
Rodgers, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “Sometimes, like at the weekend, you have to be harsh to be clear. And then you hope that you get that reaction, that these players know that I’m with them always.
“I spend my life dedicated to making this team better, making the individuals better, helping the club progress. And at the weekend, it wasn’t not good enough.
“So, on this occasion, we weren’t quite the Ferrari – a Range Rover Sport, I would have thought. Hopefully, we have no more Morris Minors in the performance – not that they’re a bad car.
“We showed the level with determination. And that’s what I expect to see going forward.”
Rodgers added: “Of course, whenever you have a setback, which we’ve had a number of, but in particular at the weekend, then the leaders show the motivation to go again.
“We’ve seen all of that against Sturm Graz.
“It was a really, really pleasing performance.”
Let’s hope the Celtic manager is still purring like a well-tuned engine on Sunday afternoon.
