BRENDAN RODGERS, the Celtic manager, believes that delivering an unprecedented back-to-back treble this term would top last season’s achievement of going through the entire domestic season unbeaten.
Despite suffering two defeats and already drawing twice as many games during this campaign than they did in the whole of their ‘Invincibles’ season, Rodgers believes the increased expectations along with the minimal break for his players last summer means that a domestic clean sweep of trophies this year would represent the more impressive feat.
And even if they do go on to win the Scottish Cup to add to the League Cup that is already tucked safely back in their trophy cabinet and the Premiership trophy which is all-but sure to follow, Rodgers believes that there is still plenty for him left to achieve at Celtic Park.
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“If it was to be done this year it would be better,” said Rodgers. “You think last year was the first time in the history of the club for it to be done which was absolutely remarkable.
“For this year, it’s felt as if it’s near enough the standard – the Treble. It’s incredible really to think that is the case but actually there’s a possibility of it.
“But you can’t emotionally look too deep into it. That’s the other thing. But there’s no doubt that if we finish this season with that it trumps last year’s. No doubt. Because of expectations, the scrutiny, the added pressure to it. Last year we weren’t even expected to get to the Champions League. Now we’re expected to compete and win Europa Leagues.
“This year the players have been great. Yes, maybe they haven’t quite hit the heights of last season, but we’re still on the upward curve here and are still developing and improving.
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“With so many young players, it’s a really exciting time.
“It was always going to be difficult to recreate what we did last year. On the back of the recovery the players had which was minimal, it was probably impossible to recreate that.”
While expectations may have been sky-high outside of the Celtic dressing room prior to this season, Rodgers insists that his team’s performance is broadly in line with his own expectations for where they should be at this point, and that he is more than satisfied with the position his side are in as they enter the closing stages of the season.
He said: “If someone would have said to me at the beginning of the season that you are sat here having reached the Champions League, got to the last 32 of the Europa League, won a League Cup and be 10 points clear with a game in hand and in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, I’d have snapped your hand off.”
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