BRENDAN Rodgers will steadfastly refuse to adopt more defensive tactics in the Champions League in future - despite the mauling Celtic suffered at the hands of Bayern Munich.

The Scottish champions were outclassed by their German counterparts in their third Group B game in the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night and were fortunate to only lose 3-0.

Rodgers, whose side was thrashed 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in their opening match at Parkhead last month, has been criticised for sending his team out to attack their hosts in midweek.

Read more: Brendan Rodgers: Technically and tactically my Celtic players are good enough - they just need the nerve now

However, the Northern Irishman has revealed he will not be changing to a more negative game plan - like the one which helped the Glasgow club beat Barcelona at home back in 2012 – in Europe.

He is adamant the only way his players will develop is by trying to play football against the likes of Jerome Boateng, Kinglsey Coman and Robert Lewandowski.

Asked if he would reconsider how Celtic approach big games in continental competition after the Bayern loss, he said: “You are looking at the wrong man. It’s not me. I have no compromise. We play and our players will get better.

“You could maybe play for 100 years and never bridge the gap financially, but we’re working away in a difficult market in the Champions League and trying to compete.

“That’s the overall objective. To be competitive at this level and that’s working collectively as we work.

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“Of course, you may have managers who do it in a different way, but I have no compromise. It’s how I work.”

Rodger was forced to reshuffle the Celtic defence against Bayern after Jozo Simunovic was ruled out with a hamstring strain and play Mikael Lustig at centre half.

Cristian Gamboa, who was playing in just his fourth game of the season, endured a torrid evening in direct opposition to Coman at right back and was at fault at the first two goals.

However, his manager has once again dismissed suggestions that he should have strengthened his squad with another centre back before the transfer window closed

“It is what it is,” he said. “Since I’ve come in here, from the very first day, we’ve been struggling with the availability of central defenders.

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“Not just one, not just two, it’s been three and sometimes four. It’s something we’ve had to deal with and something we’ll have to look at in terms of getting that consistency.”

Celtic are still in third place in Group B three points ahead of Anderlecht – who they defeat-ed 3-0 away three weeks ago – after the Belgian club were beaten 4-0 by PSG on Wednesday evening.

Rodgers is hopeful his side can, at the very least, finish ahead of Hein Vanhaezebrouck’s men in their section and progress to the last 32 of the Europa League next year despite the loss to Bayern.

He said: “For us this year, a huge step forward for us will be coming out of this group and that would be great.

“The confidence we would gain from taking that next step is big for us this year in terms of the development of the squad.

“We are looking to create a group and a mindset who can come and be competitive at Champions League level. If you get third in the group and go into the Europa after Christmas, it’s a big step.

Read more: Brendan Rodgers: Technically and tactically my Celtic players are good enough - they just need the nerve now

“You think of the level in this competition, it’s absolutely frightening, really. For us, this is what we have to do in this new football.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers has paid tribute to the thousands of Celtic fans who travelled to Bavaria to watch their team take on Jupp Heynckes’s star-studded side this week.

“There was a 75,000 seater stadium and all I heard all night was them,” he said. “They gave us incredible support. Unfortunately, we couldn’t give them the result they wanted, but thank you to them.”

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