Brendan Rodgers gives Kieran Tierney Celtic transfer update

Brendan, after last week, what have you said to the team, and what do you do to make sure there’s no hangover from what happened at Kilmarnock?

Well, I think what’s important to understand when you’re trying to be successful is that losing and failing in a game is integral to becoming successful. Yeah, it was a disappointing result and we didn’t do enough to win the game, but it’s also something you have to have at a club this size, you have to have that mental strength and toughness to cope with disappointing results, and then be ready to go again. That’s what the players have been, they’ve been outstanding this week in training, and we’ll look to take that into the game

In that sort of perverse way do you have to use it as - not necessarily a wake-up call - but this is the demands of the club and this can happen but make sure it doesn’t again, or use it for growth?

Yeah, it will happen again. There’s no doubt about that. You lose games of football. For us, it’s very early stages of our process that we’re in. We’re obviously not helped by the number of injuries and whatever we have, but we’re in a process where the players will get better, and the game idea will look better. It’s just at the beginning of that process, but whilst you’re finding your rhythm and the quality of your game, clearly you have to get results, and that’s why we’re here.

Is the right phrase “looking for a reaction?” or is it just moving on to the next?

Moving on, yeah, but of course, you always have to respond to losing games, but you understand that. The victories you want of course and especially after you lose a game.

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You mentioned injuries. Can you give us a roll call on where you’re at?

Yeah, it’s disappointing for us in terms of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh - probably about eight weeks. Welsh obviously had an operation just the other day, so he’s come through that well. For the other two, we were hopeful that they would be back sooner, but we had further scans on them and that puts them out for probably another eight weeks from now. Reo Hatate will be back in the international break, during that. Mikey Johnston will be next week. Kobayashi will be in the international break, and Oh Hyeon-gyu will return next week to training. Alistair Johnston is back, which is great news for us. He’s trained well and will be available for the weekend.

What’s Maik Nawrocki’s issue?

If you see the last moments of the game, he pulled up with his hamstring, just right at the last ten seconds of the match at Kilmarnock, so it’s a real shame. Like I said, Cameron and him - especially Cameron in terms of pre-season probably wasn’t able to go through the pre-season with us, so this is really disappointing for him, because he’s worked very hard to be back, but it’s just unfortunate, really. So yeah, those guys will be out for that period of time.

Will this make you move in the window, Brendan, for reinforcements in that area?

I think we have to look at it, there’s no doubt. It’s an area that we’re light on. When you’re losing three players for that length of time and knowing the number of games that we will have and the importance of every game, then it’s something we need to look at.

You said last week after Kilmarnock that you wanted to bring quality in. The conversations that you and the club are having, are you making any inroads in terms of that?

Yeah, I think we’ll do that before the end of the window. I think the game last week, we could have been 2-0 up in the first 10 minutes of the game, but after that - and especially after Kilmarnock went in front - we just didn’t have that little bit of finesse and those little moments of magic that you need to break down teams that are low on the field. So, we’re hoping that we can do that over the course of the coming days. 

You’re quite calm with the situation because obviously there are a couple of setbacks…

Yeah, listen you have to be. Like I said, we’ve got other players that this will provide an opportunity for. These are things that happen within the game. It’s just really ,really unfortunate for those players. Of course, we would love to have them available and that makes the squad much stronger. However, they’re not, so we have to work well, and the guys have worked well this week.

Will this impact on Liam Scales? I don’t know if he was perhaps going to go out on loan or leave. Has he now come into your thoughts for the weekend and the next two months?

Yeah, I’ve said before that I really like Liam. I think there’s been a partnership here over the last couple of years with the guys, and of course, Carl (Starfelt) leaving, and Cameron being injured for a lot of pre-season and now, means that there’s change there. With the numbers down, of course, Liam will play a part.

Just to go back to the transfers. You’ve been linked with the winger Luis Palma. He plays for Aris Thessaloniki in Greece. Do you know anything about that and is that an area you are looking to strengthen in?

I think we need to improve the squad, but there’s no confirmation on names. There’s been lots of names that have been floated about. As soon as we sign anyone, we’ll let you know.

You talk about lots of names and even with the centre-backs with the injury crisis you’ve got at the moment. When you’re looking at the market, would you prefer to bring in a player like the club has been doing over the last few years, maybe a 21/22-year-old with a lot of potential, or would you rather bring in someone more experienced - perhaps a little bit older that can come in and start right now and be one of the leaders?

Yeah, ideally. I think especially at centre-half. I think it’s a specialised position where for me experience always helps. We’ve got a lot of young players in the squad, but in order to bring those players on and bring them through they need to play with players - not just of experience but of quality. You need to hopefully try and align both because you’ll see the best of those players - the guys that are young and developing and dealing with the expectation. If they can play alongside the guys that are going to pull through and then bring out that potential, then ideally that’s what you want. That’s something that we’ll look at.

Just on Reo Hatate, you say he’s out until the international break. There’s been talk this week as well around his contract. Do you know if there’s any talks happening there? There have been suggestions about them being put on hold until the end of the transfer window. Do you know anything about that? 

No, I have regular communication with Michael Nicholson, and we speak on a daily basis. It’s been something that’s been ongoing from even before I arrived, but there’s no update on it. We look forward to him coming back.

How big a player do you see him at the club as a player under yourself here?

I think he’s going to be a really important player over the course of the pre-season. It was the case of looking at all the players and seeing where they’re at. I haven’t worked with a lot of these guys so I’m fresh in, and of course, you’re looking to see how they work. I think after that first game Reo recognised his qualities, and his intensity in training was at a really good level. He came into the Aberdeen game, and you could see when he first arrived that he had that mentality back, so it was really unfortunate that he got injured. For me, he’s clearly a very good player and of course, I want to work with good players.

Gustaf Lagerbielke made his debut last week. He’s obviously going to be a key man over the next couple of months it seems with injuries. Do you feel it might help him hit the ground running - to just accept that responsibility and be a key player?

Yeah, he’s a very mature guy for someone who looks so young. He’s up to speed in terms of games, he only arrived into the building within a couple of days and was thrown into a tough away game at Kilmarnock. I’ve got absolutely no doubt he will prove over time to be an excellent player for Celtic and he’s really up for the challenge. I’m looking forward to seeing that development.

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Brendan, can I ask you about Kieran Tierney? Firstly, is there any chance he could come back to Celtic in any loan capacity this season?

Listen, I would never speak about Kieran other than the time that I had him here. He’s an Arsenal player and that’s where he’s at.

In terms of him just now - knowing him well - do you feel that he’s a player that is too good to be on the bench and that he has to play games and you’d like to see him playing games even to help the national team as well?

I think for himself Kieran will want to play. he’s not a young player anymore. He’s a player who will want to play football, especially where he was with Arsenal for his first couple of years, and at times captaining the club. Obviously, they’ve got a really strong squad, Mikel’s (Arteta) done a fantastic job there, but for Kieran himself, I’m sure he’ll be looking to go out and play. That’s the way I would see it.

St Johnstone this weekend, they’ve had a poor start to the season. It’s been difficult for Steven MacLean. How do you see this game and how tough it’s going to be for you?

Well for us, we have to impose our intensity into the game and our work. Every game will be a challenge and we know that. I’m really looking forward to playing at home. The first game had a great atmosphere, but we’ve been away for a couple of games, and it feels like longer. The chance to come back home and play and get on track again feels really good. It’ll be a full house and we’ll be ready for it.

Going back to your defensive position - given you’re short - is there any possibility do you think of you making any inroads before this weekend’s game on that front?

I wouldn’t have thought so.