by As the Cheltenham festival drew to a close for another year yesterday, it was perhaps an opportune time for Brendan Rodgers to draw an analogy between Celtic’s season and the winners who entered the record books during the week.
His side have hit more than a few fences this term, and have also had to deal with more than a few setbacks along the way, such as a spate of injuries, unrest from the stands, a middle east conflict that affects availability one of his star wings and a disappointing January transfer window.
However, he and his team are still standing, and still in this title race as the two favorites turn home. And if Celtic emerge as winners, Rodgers is letting his players know that nobody will remember what happened beforehand.
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Of course, he does not know the moment, because it is the leader, Rangers, who is stalking, rather than being the one out front. But that doesn’t stop him as he tries to show his men a level of stability during this season of flux.
“It doesn’t make a big difference to me,” Rodgers said.
“It’s all about how you finish the race. This is the important point. There was a lot of noise and everything about the start of the season for whatever reasons.
“But at the end of the day, it’s part of the season and I’ll be interested if we win the league and the Scottish Cup what’s in store for him.
“But my only thought is that the team would be going into a really exciting stretch, having these players back, and dealing with the pressure that comes with these final games.
“I don’t care if you are the hunted or the hunted. It’s about performing and getting to the end point where you want to finish. I’m just thinking about the game [on Saturday]St Johnstone.
“We are still in a very good position to look like a strong squad for the run-in. I’m really looking forward to that because it’s good, a challenge in a lot of different ways, but that’s why we’re here – to take on those challenges and come together and finish as strong as we can.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the team in action against St Johnstone. I know what kind of game it’s going to be but I’m really looking forward to seeing us deal with that and play with the intensity we need to get the three points.
“Then we’ll draw a line, recover and hopefully the international boys come back OK.
“Then we’re into the last part of the race, the most important part. It’s always about how you finish.”
One thing that would help Celtic finish strongly is a fully fit Cameron Carter-Vickers at the heart of their defence, where he will play against St Johnstone this afternoon after losing the Scottish Cup win at Livingston.
Rodgers is delighted to have him back, not just for the certainty he brings to his back, but for the impact he has on the rest of the team and the way Celtic are able to play.
“He’s such a big player for us,” he said.
“It shows you his level because he makes all the players around him better. That’s always when you know you’ve got a really good player.
“His speed, power and knowledge of the game – he blocks danger and gives confidence to the rest of the team.”
Rodgers has worked with a number of high-level defenders during his career, and Carter-Vickers is sure to rank high among them, just as soon as he gets a chance to properly evaluate him in terms of running games. .
“I’ll see over time,” he said.
“I didn’t really have much time to work with him.
“There’s no doubt that he got a lot of experience on loan at different clubs when he was at Tottenham.
“He’s found a home here and he’s a player you trust with your life. He is so strong, he is so brave but he can play football and he knows football.
“He still has his best years ahead of him. Thankfully, that can be here at Celtic. He signed a new deal and now it’s just a matter of getting past this inconsistent injury spell.
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“He’s never had that before, and it feels like it came from his knee operation. That happens sometimes. It’s been a hit season for him but hopefully he can stay fit now over the next few months.
“Then if he has a good pre-season, he’ll be ready to go again.”
A few weeks ago, Rodgers was optimistic that Celtic’s medical team had tackled Carter-Vickers’ ongoing problems, but he has no concerns about his long-term fitness despite another scare for the defender, he would rather be lost. on the side caution is not to lose it for a longer period.
“Because of innocuous moments he was out,” he said.
“Earlier in the season, he felt something in the warm-up and thought he was fine.
“In Aberdeen, he sprinted and kept sprinting and it just felt wrong. At Ross County too, it didn’t feel right.
“Obviously we look closely at his management. This time last week, he did a training pass and felt something again.
“I think it’s also about the impression I had before. Six months before, you don’t even think about it.
“But because you’ve had a few injuries, it makes you think a little bit. We didn’t want to risk him last week because of previous experience that he sensed something and when he played on it, we’ve got things worse now.”
