Hearts forward Steven MacLean got his wish but Brendan Rodgers warns Celtic will bounce back

Celtic’s experience of being put through the mill on their European travels is a wearily familiar tale. Indeed, MacLean may well have felt as though he was watching a Groundhog Day re-run.

But what hasn’t been evident on the back of limp European performances is a lack of reaction on the home front.

And as Celtic prepare to defend the Betfred League Cup, the trophy that formally announced their dominance of the domestic landscape under Parkhead manager Brendan Rodgers, the 45-year-old has pointed to the resilience within his squad when it comes to getting back on their feet.

“If there’s one thing about this group’s mentality which you can never question it’s how they respond to setbacks,” said Rodgers. “If you look at my time here, we lost at home to Borussia Munchengladbach in my first season and didn’t play so well but then we were outstanding against Rangers in the semi-final the following weekend and went through.

“Then we lost at home to Barcelona immediately before we played Aberdeen in the final and produced one of the best performances since I came at Hampden. Last year we didn’t play well away to Bayern Munich [losing 3-0] and had a really tough semi-final against Hibs, which we won 4-2.

“Before last year’s final we lost 7-1 away to Paris St Germain but we bounced back to play well and beat Motherwell on the Sunday so I have no doubts about the mentality of the team. We’ll come away and look at it but we’ll always look forward to the next game and that’s always served us well. I would expect us to respond and play well this weekend.”

In any case, the frequency of fixtures ensures that there is little time for too much naval-gazing in the aftermath of defeat. Rodgers spoke of a reluctacet to linger on the negatives, opting instead to turn the focus onto the next game.

And as the Celtic squad arrived home in the early hours of Friday morning before then arriving for a late afternoon training session at Lennoxtown, Rodgers was already preparing to dust them down to go again.

“We talk about it briefly after the game, put it to bed today and then look towards Hearts,” said Rodgers. “And that allows you then rather than slaughtering players and making them feel less than what they are. The beauty of me is that I know that these boys give me everything and sometimes they come up short. That is ok. We will go again and fight for the next game.

“I never get frustrated with the players. There are elements that can disappoint, of course, but I am also of the understanding that we were playing against a high quality team. We were playing against a really high level of opposition and in parts of the game we showed up very well. But it is key moments of the game at that level where you have to be better. Of course I was disappointed at times but I have got to where I have through experience. I left school with no qualifications and my life is based around experience and moving on and trying to get as many good experiences as I can. I never over-analyse it but look forward

Hearts have had the better of Celtic already this season and were also the team who put a stop to put a halt to the Parkhead side’s winning sequence of 69 games without defeat.

Still, as much as they have been thorny opponents for Rodgers’, even before there were arguments about the length of the grass, there is a suspicion that Craig Levein’s side lose some of their potency when they emerge from the tight cauldron of Tynecastle.

They are, though, the form team in the country as they sit at the top of the table having lost only game this season - at Ibrox - and Rodgers has pointed the experience of striker Steven Naismith as having an effect all the way through Levein’s side.

“I think they have made a very good start to the season,” he said. “Craig has got them working hard and working well. Steven Naismith has been a real catalyst for them, coming in with his experience. I look at Steven and I hardly know him at all but I can tell with his work in the Premier League and how he featured there that he looks like a real super professional.

“He looks really focused on his work and someone who gives his all every day in training and I am sure that influence will have spread to other players. I think they have started very well and they will be committed to the game but it is on a nice big pitch will suit us.”

There was a rare sighting of Eboue Kouassi on Thursday night with Rodgers reiterating that the lack of exposure to the first-team has been purely down to the form of Scott Brown. The Celtic captain has been a mainstay of Rodgers’ side but a recent injury may offer more scope for the midfielder whom Celtic paid £3m in January 2017.

“All this stuff about him being a failure – the kid’s not really had a chance,” said Rodgers.

“Why? Because Scott Brown’s been in the form of his life for the last couple of years and that’s the only reason he hasn’t played. I don’t need two defensive midfielders in domestic games but, when he has come in, I’ve felt he has done well.