Everything that Brendan Rodgers said to the media after Celtic's 2-1 Scottish Premiership loss to Kilmarnock
What were your thoughts on the game?
I thought in the first half we were very good. We played at a good speed and created opportunities. We could have maybe have been more than 1-0 up by half-time but in the second half, we never got started. You expect a wee bit of pressure for ten or 15 minutes, which we weathered at set pieces and corners but we never passed the ball. We were under a bit more pressure, sure, but you have to be resistant to that pressure. We weren’t able to make passes to take us up the pitch and that was the biggest disappointment of the second half. We couldn’t sustain any attacking threat in the game. We had one chance when Matt O’Riley ran through but little simple things we were winning in the first half, but we weren’t in the second half. When you play Kilmarnock it’s quite a direct game so you have to be able to win the first, second and third balls but we didn’t do that in the second half.
Did the second-half performance from the team surprise you?
I thought we were good in the first half. At the moment it’s just about finding that consistency for the 90 minutes. We had 45 minutes away at St Johnstone when we weren’t so good, and in the second half, we were much better. We had a good game during the week. Today we continued with that in the first half - but you have to be much better than we were in the second half.
How do you react as a manager as you showed your anger last weekend at half-time against St Johnstone? How do you approach things now?
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The players know themselves. We spoke after the game about how this isn’t how we want to do it. In the second half, we played their game instead of playing our game. I thought we got rid of the ball in the second half instead of passing it and there is a big difference. When we showed our level in the first half we were very good but we were disappointing second half.
Is the biggest disappointment that you don't see that coming in the second as you were good in the first half?
It was how we wanted the game to look in the first half. In key moments and decisive moments, we didn’t defend well enough. At corners and set pieces, in the main, we dealt with them but there were other moments in the game where we had to be stronger defensively our biggest issue in the second half was that we never made passes and we ended up being too negative in our passing. If you play a team that’s pressing and right up against you there you’ve got to pass the ball forward because that forward pass eliminates pressure and we weren’t able, for some reason, to do that.
You only made three changes does that highlight what you need to do in January in terms of strength in depth?
There are players to come back. That's not the story. The story is that we were good in the first half and we had enough there. Of course, you want to be able to change the game and change the dynamic of the game but still, we have to be better than what we were.
What was the result of Cameron's scan?
It was clear. The feeling was it was just too much of a rush but it should be fine for midweek. He is not long-term. The scan was clear but he has had some stiffness in his hamstring.
How do you think Nat Phillips did in his place?
I think Nat played like the team. In the first half, he was dominant in the air and he was physically strong. The two centre-halves were good together and dealt with the aerial threat. It was fine. We just went a little bit negative in the second half and ended up conceding the two goals and he was unfortunate with the own goal.
The conditions were poor and are there players who are new to Scotland and need to adapt to circumstances?
I thought the pitch was all right for an astroturf surface. When you get rain, it makes it slick, and it was actually good but in the British game you have to have that adaptability but it wasn't as if it was the whole performance, but it was a big disappointment because we didn't see that in the first half.
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