Top Line Summary

  • A great spectacle for the neutral
  • Needing therapy after a Hampden classic
  • Joe Hart needing more penalty practice 
  • Setting up a massive finish to the season
  • The significance of James Forrest

Everything that Brendan Rodgers said to the media after Celtic's Scottish Cup semi-final win over Aberdeen on penalties...

Congratulations. What were your thoughts on that unbelievable game?

What a great spectacle for the neutral and people watching. We’re absolutely delighted to get into another final.

What does it say about your players after Aberdeen's fightback?

Big credit to both sets of players. We had a disappointing start and they scored a very good goal Then we got the equaliser and we gained a bit more control. At the beginning of the second half, we found a rhythm and controlled the ball a lot more which allowed us to create opportunities. Jamesie Forrest coming on was brilliant – he gives us that ability to keep the ball as we weren't able to do that in the first half. He comes in and combined well with those around him. He keeps the ball, he gets the goal and we have other chances to close the game out. You have to credit Aberdeen as well as they kept fighting. My players showed real nerve and heart to win the shootout.

Was Joe Hart always going to take a penalty?

We looked at penalties during the week and Joe was always designated to take the fifth. He saw their keeper was injured and he tried to get it as wide of him as possible, but it was just a little too wide. He showed his mentality as he let it go and came up and made the crucial save for us which is so important. He missed one, but he still ended up the hero. Joe’s worked a lot on the mental side of things for a long time now. He’s a very positive, upbeat character. If he has the confidence and he shows he can take them, you have to let him have a go and take the risk. He is a very good penalty taker as we see it in training. However, he may need a bit more practice before next time. It was a fantastic game and I said to the players never mind football sessions over the next couple of days we need therapy sessions after that! It will hold us in good stead going forward.

Winning in this fashion, will that help you over the course of the next few games.

Today was about getting to the final and doing that was a great boost. Aberdeen have not had a great season in the league but they have good players and they were free here, they could play. Semi-finals are all about getting to the final So I’m just so happy for the players and the supporters that we’re coming back here on the 25th of May. We can look forward to seeing who we play then. We just have to block that out and look forward to five huge league games. We have to look to take the best possible form we can into that final.

Was it disappointing that you couldn't see the game out twice with those injury-time equalisers?

It was disappointing to lose those two goals. We stuck on an extra centre-half to deal with the threat, but Junior Hoilett’s crossing was real quality. We just couldn’t see it out and if you don’t do that it can be difficult. When it happens, you just focus on the penalties. We talked before about guys coming on to make an impact and they showed great courage to step up and take penalties.

Are the players really relishing the rest of the season now, especially after today and is it a huge shot in the arm?

I said beforehand we’re in a really good place. Cal gets another 60 minutes, other players are getting fitter. There is still so much work to do. We have five games and 15 points ahead of us to go for. We’re now all about a massive game at Dundee next week.

Luis Palma, Adam Idah, Tomoki Iwata and Paulo Bernardo all took penalties in the shootout and scored what does that say about their character?

I think it shows the spirit and the bond that the players have. We talked before about the game plan coming into the match and those guys coming in to finish the game and make an impact was going to be key for us. They showed great courage to come into the game and their penalties were very good.

How much did you enjoy the mental test today as that takes some doing, doesn't it?

I don't think you can enjoy that. It's part of the game. If you don't close it out that's what can happen. We had to put it to the side in extra time. We had to see it through as everything else had gone now. You have got to get your focus and on your penalties. We worked on it for a few days and the players just had to commit to the side that they were going to. They did that very well.

Do you think this sets up a fabulous finish to the season?

We arrived here today to get to the final. We had an amazing support and we are through. Now we can just recover and see who we get in the final. Our next game now is the most important for us.

How many times have you put on a substitute and seen them deliver?

He was absolutely brilliant, he changed the game for us. It was just his composure and his quality. We started to keep the ball in the final third, he got the goal. He’s just a big-game player with big-game experience. Another big plus was that when we took Callum off, Jamesie gave us another experienced head out there. I wanted to bring someone on with calmness and authority and James had that. He’s shown recently what a big part he has to play in the final part of the season, especially with Daizen Maeda being out for us.

Did Hart have to convince you to take a penalty?

No. We practiced them the other day and we had the order. He was the fifth taker and he had the courage to take one and you've got to let them go.

Will you let him take one in the final?

He'll need a bit of practice before then. He was the hero in the end as he anticipated it and made a good save and we are into the final which is brilliant.