One of the most fascinating aspects of last night’s game was the confession by Leipzig’s players post-match. They openly admitted that Celtic had run them ragged.
I’d noted down in my bleary 2:00 a.m. notes – whilst I was still keeping an eye on CNN – that a couple of their players looked absolutely shattered in the closing stages of the game.
One of them even went down with cramp with about 15-20 minutes to go, and I thought, “These guys have nothing left to give.”
Watching the recording of the match in full again today confirmed it. Celtic outworked them, plain and simple.
Now, let’s be clear – Leipzig are an elite side playing in one of Europe’s top leagues. They have access to the latest sports science, training methods, and recovery systems. They’re backed by Red Bull, a brand literally synonymous with energy, so it’s safe to say that physical conditioning is not a concern for them. And yet, last night, we had them huffing and puffing to the point where they admitted they couldn’t keep up.
This is an incredible testament to the hard work of our squad. But it’s also a tribute to the depth of our bench and the rotation strategy employed by Brendan Rodgers. This isn’t just working wonders in Europe; it’s visible across our domestic campaign as well.
We all talked about the need for a deep squad this season.
Last year, Rodgers could only rely on a core group of about 14 or 15 players. The backup just wasn’t there, and he had little choice but to field the same group again and again. That approach inevitably led to fatigue, and in a season as demanding as this one, we needed a change. This time around, we’re clearly working with a deeper squad, and you can see it in the debates fans have before games.
Take last night: the questions were about who would drop out in midfield, who’d be left-back, and who’d partner in central defence. Each of us had a different prediction, but crucially, none of us felt the other’s suggestions would weaken the side in any meaningful way.
There was minor grumbling on the supporters’ bus about Greg Taylor starting at left-back, or Hatate getting the nod over Bernardo, who I thought was a lock to start. But neither option felt like a major downgrade. Both Taylor and Valle, or Hatate and Bernardo, bring their own strengths, and that’s a wonderful position to be in.
If there’s one area where our squad could use a bit of a boost, it’s on the flanks. Maeda and Kuhn are our two standouts there, and you do notice a dip in quality when one of them isn’t on the pitch. Yang came on and put in a solid shift, and I think he’s got potential, but there’s a visible need for one more winger, ideally someone who can step straight in on the left. It’s something the club’s likely aware of and hopefully will address.
Similarly, a third striker wouldn’t go amiss, but that’s a topic for another day.
The depth we’ve built means we can rotate with confidence, giving players a rest here and there and allowing them to learn the rhythm of the game alongside their teammates. That system was invaluable last night, and the substitutions Rodgers made were perfect. At no point did it feel like the team got weaker with any of the changes.
Credit is due to two groups here. First, Brendan and his coaching staff have this team drilled so that anyone can step in without missing a beat. And – dare I say it – the board deserves a nod. We didn’t get everything right in the summer, but we did focus on quality over quantity, trusting the manager to pick players who could add real value to the team. Every summer signing has strengthened us, and it’s paying off handsomely.
Our fitness levels are so strong because we rotate effectively and don’t need to overuse any one player. We can bring on subs who are just as capable, and that keeps everyone fresh. No one’s run into the ground, and that’s precisely why we managed to outlast a Bundesliga side known for its conditioning. This bodes well for our European fixtures, of course, but it’s even more potent against domestic opponents who simply don’t have the squad depth we do.
And that’s especially true for the club across the city.
For all their talk about building a younger, faster side, they’re still relying on the same core players week in, week out. They have no other choice, with a squad that looks paper-thin compared to ours. There’s talk of dipping into the January market, if they can scrape together enough funds, but January feels like a long way off when you’re grinding through game after game.
I suspect they’ll be dropping like flies well before then.
Meanwhile, I’m no longer worried that our squad might burn out before reaching Hampden. This team feels like it could run all day and all night, which is a something I certainly don’t feel watching our rivals. By the time we get to the National Stadium for the League Cup final, their squad may be utterly spent, while ours will be buzzing, ready for action.
This isn’t just the difference between winning and losing – it could be the difference between a routine victory and a memorable thrashing that leaves psychological scars on their fans. For now, though, they must be watching this Celtic side and feeling more than a little dread. They can see what’s coming.
Jeez Aye – What a Tim(e) to be a Celtic supporter…
And What a time (Not) to be a Sevco supporter –
Anyway – Who gives a contenental fuck about them (Sevco fans) !!!
I agree with all that, this team won’t burn out because Brendan has faith in the squad depth. Maeda was rested before the semifinal and we got the rewards for being able to do that. I’d rest Kuhn, Maeda, Kyogo for the Kilmarnock game too
CalMac had one of his best ever games n looked like he could’ve run all night. I wonder how much of that was down to him having had a couple of weeks rest when he had his niggly injury? It’s great that BR can now rest 4 or 5 players and still get results. I thought our backup keeper might have gotten some game time in the league cup though.
I think it is down to that, same with Kuhn. This new format I think really suits us where there’s such demands on the players with the amount of games but we’re in a position where we don’t have a credible threat in the league, we’re chasing records. We can and should rotate whenever guys need a rest. The replacements will be keen to make an impression when they get the chance because it looks like a great time to be a Celtic player. The big teams will turn up in the playoff/knockout rounds probably but there are chances for us to improve the coefficient to get back in future seasons. Dropping to qualifiers to get in the league stage wouldn’t be ideal. Might need another article about the coefficient to see where we are, I’m not sure.
Kilmarnock will be tough, one of the games we are most likely to drop points at given the timing but hopefully, if Rodgers does make a lot of changes, the team are still inspired by the standard of football we’re playing. Forrest, McCowan, Yang, Palma, Idah could all be match winners and give the manager food for thought.
I’m loving it.
Spot on again James. We criticised our board for lack of quality/depth to our squad and it was nearly our undoing last season.
Thankfully we got over the line in May, and although our summer transfer business was extremely tardy, we gave BR the quality, dynamism and depth that he required!
Allied to his elite managerial skills and tactical nous, we are now seeing a squad that is being utilised correctly, and deployed with supreme effectiveness.
The last two victories and performance are testament to that.
I’m genuinely very excited as to what can be achieved with this squad, if, as we all believe, it is augmented in January and subsequent windows !
Well done BR, players and all at Celtic ! Keep up the good work !
James, I am glad that you praised the board for their transfer window dealings, for they deserve some kind words now and again. I am fairly neutral when it comes to those individuals, I neither praise them or condemn them, they are there as far as I am concerned to back the manager’s wishes, within reason, and provide the funds and the background know-how to get deals over the line. They don’t always get there as quickly as we would like, but let’s face it there are pitfalls concerned that we probably are fully not aware of.
What I did not like back then though, was the abuse they got from some of the posters on here, it was excessive and way over the top. I do hope they handle the next transfer window with a bit more patience and understanding before mouthing off.
I take what you are saying Johnny, but Lawwell deserved all the criticism he got, he lost us the ten almost all on his own by causing Brendan to leave and not replacing him like for like.
There are no excuses for that as he got 9 million for Brendan and the coaching staff.
I will never be happy as long as he is on the board.
Michael, it’s not that long ago that a lot of our fans were criticising Brendan and a lot of them did not want him back. The board, against their wishes, did the right thing, ignored them, and got the right man for the job. Everyone now realises that it was a masterstroke on their part. I don’t blame anyone for us not getting the 10, it was just a clusterfuck of circumstances that contributed to it and we will never really know what went wrong or who was to blame. Should we even be apportioning blame, for we don’t have a God given right to win the league every season, maybe we had just set too high a target.
I remember the first time Brendan took charge & the almost immediate change in player mentality & attitude to overall fitness.
That team would run every other team ragged & seeing this team now actually makes you realise that those standards were clearly allowed to regress again under Lennon & even under Ange weren’t at this level.
He is as you say an elite manager & he professionalism he brings with him is what stands us apart from anyone else in Scotland. You touched on it briefly in your first piece after the game but it’s something I’d been thinking about for a while now myself. We need to get Brendan signed onto a contract extension asap. He is the man for this club & we can’t risk having him leave after 3 years.
I wonder if he will struggle with finding a job that excites him in England again after being at Liverpool & Leicester with relative success at both but ending as so often is the case in a whimper. The fact Gerrard (expectedly) & Ange (still expected but not as much) have struggled in the Prem has perhaps quelled any team being keen to take a manager from Scotland again but the results we are getting & performances in Europe which has long been considered his achilles heel will surely be turning heads in the not too distant future.