BRENDAN RODGERS last night predicted Celtic will be in perfect shape for their Ladbrokes Premiership match with nearest rivals Aberdeen on Saturday after he rested no fewer than eight first team players in their win over Ross County.
Celtic, who still have a game in hand, forged seven points clear of Aberdeen at the top of the top flight table thanks to a resounding 4-0 triumph at the Global Energy Stadium despite fielding a second string side.
Rodgers believes giving many of his regulars a rest - including Scott Brown after his captain became a father for the third time on Tuesday night – will ensure they are in peak condition for the meeting with their second-placed opponents at Pittodrie this weekend.
Read more: Ross County 0 Celtic 4: New-look Hoops extend lead at top of the table to seven points
“The thinking going into the game here was that we had played a lot of matches,” he said. “We ask the players to play at a very intensive level in the attacking areas. We need that high up the pitch and the players who came in delivered that.
“It was a tough game. Ross County are one of the best teams we’ve played. We kept a clean sheet and as good teams do we started the game quickly and finished strongly and produced a very good performance.
“They’ll be fresh for the weekend and that was the plan. It couldn’t have gone any better. The game was played at a good tempo. We know Aberdeen will be a hard game – all the games have been that way. The scoreline looks good, but that’s a credit to the players for their spirit, work and quality.
Read more: Ross County 0 Celtic 4: New-look Hoops extend lead at top of the table to seven points
“Every single one of them is totally fit. I wanted to give one or two of them a rest. They are all fit and they are all playing at a real tempo. I gave a rest to Scotty Brown. He became a father again, for the third time, last night.
“He is getting together his wee five-a-side football team. That is three boys he’s got now. He wanted to come. I said, ‘Listen, look after your wife, family is more important than football’. It is nice for him to get a breather.
“He is going to go into the game super fit and fresh and strong and now a father of three. They are all feeling good. He breathes football, Scotty, so I am sure he will be looking forward to it. When you get three it becomes a job.”
Jim McIntyre, the Ross County manager, meanwhile was incensed that Craig Gordon, the Celtic goalkeeper, wasn’t sent off by referee Alan Muir for a foul on Liam Boyce in the second half when the score was still delicately balanced at 1-0. However, Rodgers felt the match official had got the decision correct.
“I can see why Jim was upset, but I saw it at the time and their player is going away from goal,” he said. “Craig’s done it before – he’s making a habit of it and giving me questions to answer. But it was a yellow card. There were two or three players behind the ball.
“I thought the ref was excellent but of course if you are a Ross County supporter then you want the man to go. With a calm head and a look at the replay they will see it’s a yellow card.”
McIntyre, who replaced right back Marcus Fraser with striker Alex Schalk late on in an attempt to snatch an equaliser, also felt that Leigh Griffiths, the Celtic striker, was lucky not to get order off for a second bookable offence after appearing to kick out at Andrew Davies, the County defender.
“There were a couple of key decisions where I’m scratching my head wondering why we are not getting them,” he said.
“First, it was definitely a second booking on Leigh Griffiths – he has a wee swipe at Andrew Davies, but we don’t get it. If that’s out player, he’s off. Then you had Craig Gordon’s challenge – it’s high, it’s dangerous, it’s reckless. If an outfield player went in that high, he’d go off the park.
Read more: Ross County 0 Celtic 4: New-look Hoops extend lead at top of the table to seven points
“So these two decisions didn’t go our way. There was that inconsistency there tonight. It is disappointing, and Alan Muir is a good referee, but I’m disappointed.”
McIntyre added: “To lose 4-0 was very harsh. Until the last 15 minutes when we chose to make that change of Marcus Fraser off and Alex Schalk on, to get another attacker on there to get something from the game, then we were well in it.
“We created some good opportunities so from that viewpoint, the gameplan worked reasonably well. We’ve hit the post and Craig Gordon had a couple of good saves as well. We were a threat – and we were in the match.”
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