Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is under pressure after the 3-1 defeat away to Hearts on Sunday.
Rodgers critical of Hearts' approach vs Celtic
The Scottish Premiership champions were soundly beaten over the weekend, allowing Hearts to pull eight points clear at the top of the table, with Chris Sutton ripping into Celtic after the defeat..
“Hearts deserved it. Streetwise, organised and better forward players than Celtic. This Celtic team are a shambles. How many Celtic players would get into the Hearts team right now? Hearts will never get a better chance to win the league.”
Rodgers was clearly a frustrated figure after the game too, admitting that he could never choose to adopt the hosts’ more direct style of play at a club like Celtic.
“The approach, I think, when you’re at a club like Celtic, people talk about plan A, plan B, but Celtic is a club whose DNA is about playing football. We’ll never lose that. When we play to that identity, it’s totally different.
“Hearts, it’s a different DNA here. The ball’s direct. The supporters love that. It’s a second ball fight. It’s set pieces, all that. Celtic hasn’t become winners in that way. Our DNA is to play a fast-attacking game of football, whatever the system is. The systems are relevant. You can play whatever system you want, but your style of football and the style of Celtic is fast-attacking football.”
Boyd lays into Rodgers' comments
Speaking on Sky Sports after the game, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd didn’t hold back in his criticism of Celtic boss Rodgers, calling his comments “disrespectful” to Hearts in a 14-word atatck on the Irishman.
“I just found that so disrespectful. Hearts have bullied Celtic all over that pitch.”
Boyd also added: “To question the way Derek McInnes’ or Hearts’ teams play, because Celtic didn’t come here and dominate and win. They got bullied. Deal with it. You’re talking about fast, attacking football – that’s not their DNA. Winning is Celtic’s DNA. To have a go at Derek McInnes for the way they played, it’s so disrespectful for me.”
In truth, Rodgers’ comments do sound a little on the bitter side, with Hearts just feeling like the hungrier of the two sides at Tynecastle on Sunday lunchtime.
Celtic are not firing at all at the moment, and haven’t done all season by their high standards, and they now have a genuinely big challenge on their hands when it comes to retaining the Scottish Premiership title next May.
Granted, it is still early days and there is every chance that the Hoops find their feet, and Hearts begin to feel the pressure at some point, but their rivals have still only dropped two points in 2025/26 to date, which is worthy of respect.
Rodgers has cut a disgruntled figure throughout the campaign, not helped by a frustrating summer in the transfer market, and his latest comments feel like those of a manager who is feeling the heat. He has proved that he is a winner in the past, though, and he remains the right man to take Celtic forward for now.