Brendan Rodgers has insisted he has “never worked harder” to find on-field answers after Celtic slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Hearts, leaving the champions eight points adrift in the Scottish Premiership. The loss means back-to-back league defeats for Celtic, who have managed only 17 points from a possible 27 in their title defence.
Rodgers denied suggestions he has lost his appetite for the battle. “I’ve never worked harder in all my time here,” he said. “The motivation is there to try and flip the levels that we’re at. It’s absolutely fine, it’s still so early. There’s so much football to play. We’ve just got to hang in there, find those performances, find the results and hopefully our levels will improve.”
The Celtic boss acknowledged the challenge of changing his squad’s mentality. “We have to fill the players with confidence,” he said. “The context of today is obviously disappointing in the game and the result. But there are 29 games left.”
Hearts manager Derek McInnes played down the prospect of a first championship flag since 1960, noting Celtic’s financial advantages. “Celtic spend millions and they pay millions in wages,” he said. “They have got so many advantages over every other team. But we do feel as if there’s improvement in us. There is a long way to go.”
