Brendan Rodgers says Celtic’s pressing is having big impact on their attack

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes focusing on their work out of possession is providing major benefits for their attacking game.

Rodgers has been honing his team’s pressing game during pre-season and it has proved effective.

Celtic scored four goals in friendlies against DC United, Manchester City and Chelsea in the United States and emulated that feat in their William Hill Premiership opener against Kilmarnock.

Rodgers had his team hunting in packs, most evident in the summer when they scored against Chelsea after pressing high up the park.

And their opening goal of the league season from Reo Hatate came after Celtic won the ball in the Kilmarnock box.

Rodgers said: “I thought the team overall was very good last weekend in terms of how we pressed the game and respecting that side of it, which has been a big part of pre-season.

“We are a team that has up to 70 per cent possession and last week it was 82 per cent.

“But the area I always concentrate on is respecting that 30 per cent or the 18 per cent, whatever it is, because that is what will bring our attacking game to the level and tempo that we want.

“It was epitomised that our first goal was off a counter press last weekend and that for me then stimulates everything else in the game.”

Hatate’s performance was one of the highlights of Celtic’s opening league win and Rodgers was delighted to see how the Japan international linked up with Callum McGregor and Matt O’Riley in midfield.

“In my history as a coach the dynamic midfield three is always important,” said Rodgers ahead of Sunday’s trip to face Hibernian at Easter Road.

“It’s never about one player, it’s always about the three. And I think that it was probably only into the latter stages of last season that those three came together.

“And I think you’ve seen the flow and the dynamism and how it all makes the team function.”