Glasgow: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says he expects his side to get even better as he delivered an ominous message to the rest of Scottish football.
The Scottish champions earned plenty of plaudits for their performance against German giants Bayern Munich on Tuesday, which saw them narrowly defeated 2-1 by their Uefa Champions League Group B opponents.
Rodgers adamantly refused to compromise his principles by making Celtic more defensive following heavy defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern earlier in the campaign.
He was rewarded as his side’s approach saw them come tantalisingly close to earning a point at home to the German champions.
The result ended Celtic’s hopes of progressing to the last 16 of the competition, but they remain favourites to clinch a Europa League spot ahead of Belgian side Anderlecht.
Although Rodgers declared himself happy at the progress his side have made since his arrival in May 2016, the Northern Irishman — who won a treble in his debut season — says he expects his players to keep on improving and collecting titles.
“It’s very easy to be pragmatic and sit in, but it gives you pride when you see players play like that,” Rodgers said of his side’s showing against Bayern.
“And when they do play like that they are only going to get better and gain more confidence from it. They can then go on and see what they can achieve.
“The vision is simple. Win titles, as many as possible. Cups, leagues. Play an attacking and aggressive style of football to win, and with a number of players from the Academy base.
“It’s always been the vision, and the vision we are rolling out into the reality. The club and the players are getting their rewards, but we have to keep developing. That’s the key message.”
Celtic could write themselves into the history books once again by surpassing their own 100-year-old British record of 62 domestic matches unbeaten if they avoid defeat away to St Johnstone on Saturday.
The Bhoys matched the run set by Willie Maley’s Celtic side between 1915 and 1917 with a 1-1 draw at home to Kilmarnock last weekend.
Standing in their way of reaching that target is St Johnstone — the last side to defeat them on domestic duty back in May 2016.
The Perth side are on a poor run having lost four of their last five matches and having failed to score since their 2-1 win over Hamilton on September 23.
But Saints manager Tommy Wright, who will be missing a number of key players for the match because of injury, insists his players can end Celtic’s unbeaten run because they have overturned the odds in games before.
“We still go into Saturday’s game thinking we can win,” Wright said.
“We have always been capable of throwing up surprise results and Saturday is no different.”
Elsewhere, Rangers interim manager Graeme Murty will look to build on last week’s impressive win away to Hearts when his side host Partick Thistle on Saturday.
