'I don’t need to bite my tongue': Rodgers comfortable with post-match comments after Celtic win over St Mirren

Brendan Rodgers has stood by his comments criticising some of the Celtic support, saying there are moments when he has to speak his mind.

The Celtic boss was irked by some of the noise from the stands in his side’s 3-0 win against St Mirren, when a section of the support made their displeasure known after a pass-back at 0-0.

In his post-match comments Rodgers had said that fans needed to understand patience and the thinking behind changing the point of attack within the game. He also expressed his annoyance at supporters singing Kieran Tierney’s name as the Arsenal defender was linked with a return to Glasgow, saying it was disrespectful to current left-back Greg Taylor.

“I think everyone has the right to air their emotion and their feeling, and that was my feeling from the weekend,” he said.

“Listen, the Celtic support is an amazing support base, what they give the team and how they support the team and how they travel with the team. So I’m not going to start to tell people what to sing.

“But for me it’s just that bigger picture around this period of games in particular, where pitches are a wee bit lumpier than what they normally would be and the game may be a little bit slower than what it can normally be. So that isn’t always the fault of the players. That’s just sometimes how it is.

“That support can really help the team in what is a really, really gruelling period for us.”

He added: ““I’m not going to beat about the bush when I’m talking about the bush. I’m experienced enough to say what I think and what I feel. But not in a derogatory way to anyone.

“I’d be the last person, coming back to here and everything I’ve put myself through to come back to here. I’m so happy I came back here. I love my life and I love my job here.

“But it’s also important to be able to say what I think. Sometimes you are paid not to say what you think.

“But there are moments when you have to. And I’m at the stage now in my career and my life where I don’t need to bite my tongue.”

Rodgers said that his comments came from wanting the support together in backing the players and understanding that they are working hard in a gruelling schedule.

“I’ve mentioned sporadically over my time here just because I know what the power of this club is when everything’s together and that unity is there,” he explained. “And also, what it feels like for the players to be out there getting that amazing support.

“I can understand off the back of the Rangers game and not playing anywhere near what our level was. So I can understand that wee bit of fret and a bit of worry.

“But it’s something I think is very, very important. My priority with the players is the performance level and that comes from training and the games, creating that atmosphere which the players can thrive in.

“That’s all I’m here to do. To manage and be the best that I possibly can be for Celtic in my time here, however long that is.

“Of course, I will stand up for that.

“And once my time is done I can step back, wait for the next manager to come in, support him and look forward to seeing 60 games of high-intensity football for 95 minutes every week. And I will be really happy!”

Rodgers also gave an update on the club’s transfer activity, saying there was “nothing to declare” but confirming that Stephen Welsh is possibly going out on loan after the defender was linked with a move to Belgium.

The manager confirmed that Dane Murray had been recalled from Queen’s Park, which would allow 24-year-old Welsh to go and play first team football somewhere else.

“Stephen’s a player that’s pretty much been a part of the fabric of this club for so many years,” he said. “He’s one of the guys that helps create the culture because they’ve come through the system.

“But there also comes a time when they need to look at their own career. So there’s a possibility that he’ll go out on loan, it’s not confirmed yet.”

Ahead of his side’s home match against Dundee United on Wednesday night, the manager said he was hoping things would go more smoothly than the game at Tannadice three weeks ago, which finished 0-0.

“They’re very good and you can see that from where they sit in the league,” he said. “They clearly are getting results and performances and doing very, very well.

“They made it very difficult for us up there. It was difficult conditions but still we couldn’t make the breakthrough that day.

“But I would like to think this will be a totally different game. Being at home, availability of players and a good performance of the weekend that we’ll be looking to back up.”