“I know the rules up here in Glasgow,” Rodgers added, “I never expected it to be the magic carpet ride”

Brendan Rodgers spoke to the media today at Lennoxtown ahead of tomorrows”s Scottish Premiership match against Hibs at Easter Road. The Celtic manager was on great form, talking about enjoying his life in Scotland and he believes that Neil Warnock will get his eyes opened up here in more ways than one. He’ll probably get a crash course tonight as he takes his new charges to Ibrox.

Q: How is the squad looking?

Brendan Rodgers: “Okay. All good. We have had a good couple of days of training. Injury-wise nobody is back from injury but Daizen Maeda has returned fit and healthy which is great news.”

Q: When do you expect Greg Taylor back or is he still a bit away?

Brendan Rodgers: “Hopefully, we will see how he is for the weekend. He is out on the pitch and he is moving really well. It will just be getting the sign-off from the medical team and if it is not the weekend then he’ll be ready for the next game.”

Q: Given the impacts that Adam (Idah) and Nicolas (Kuhn) made at the weekend. How much do they come into your thinking for the Hibs game?

Brendan Rodgers: “Very much so. I think for the next period of games and I said it before both players can affect the short, medium and longer-term capacity of the team. I think we’ll see that. Adam, I am excited about having seen him play and seen him working with him and speaking with him. The ability that he has is incredible really. He has every tool that you want to play at the highest level and he has been doing that internationally. It has been a wee bit hit-and-miss for him at Norwich. How I assess him here in training when I see the finish, I see the speed and the touch, I am excited about what he can bring us in the remaining months.

“Nicolas is just settling in now and he has just netted his first goal, which is great. That will be good for his confidence levels and he will only get better.”

Q: When you look at how tight it is at the top. Do you feel this is different territory from where you have been before in your previous spell here?

Brendan Rodgers: “No. The territory is what it is. I never set out at the start of a league season and think I am going to win it by 10 or 20 points. You set out to be the very best you can be and beat the challenge that is in and around you. Clearly, the competition is there and it will be tight between now and the rest of the season.

“For us, it is all about focusing on our own game. Everything for us, is about making sure we can have that consistency. We have the capacity to play well and win these big games but I think it emphasises how young some of the team is as we have not been able to string it for longer periods.

“We have gone four, five, six games and then that killer instinct just goes a little bit. We have won six of our last seven and drawn one, I know the rules up here in Glasgow and I know how it works but the key is you just stay calm. I see the players every day and there are one or two coming back and we will continue to focus on that performance level.”

Q: There is always pressure at Celtic. Is it something you tell your players that they have got to embrace it?

Brendan Rodgers: “Yes, always. I think the expectation is one of the huge things here at Celtic. Whether you are a player or a manager. There are stronger leagues out there in Europe but when you play and manage Celtic it is a real test of your mental fortitude as a person.

“The expectation and dealing with pressure and dealing with everything that comes with it. There are not too many teams around Europe where you will have four points out of six and it’s crisis mode again. I always feel those moments are the catalyst where you can improve.

Q: Are these the moments when you learn a lot about your players?

Brendan Rodgers: “I think you are always learning. In every game and every situation, you are learning about your players. Of course, under pressure, is where you will learn more. You look at the courage and the bravery to play, I don’t doubt that with this team. We have had players out and players missing but we have still got enough to win games that we have drawn.

“We go into it with a fresh approach tomorrow and we have analysed the last game and where we could be better. We look forward to that and do not dwell on the mistakes we have made. We look forward to the future and playing against a good team and hopefully, we can put in a good performance.”

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