Celtic dismantled the team closest to them in the league on Premier Sports Cup duty.
Brendan Rodgers has issued a response to some of his recent team selections being leaked after his side racked up a thumping 6-0 win over Aberdeen to reach the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.
After a stodgy start to the game, the Premiership champions decided to throw the Dons about like a rag-doll. Daizen Maeda was the main architect of Aberdeen’s dire time in Mount Florida, netting a hat-trick and setting up Kyogo on the day.
Cameron Carter-Vickers nodded in an Arne Engels headed in the Celtic opener before the Maeda show fully rolled onto centre stage and they weren’t done. Kuhn netted and Maeda managed to grab his hat-trick before this one was done. Now either Motherwell or Rangers await in next month’s final. Aberdeen have matched Celtic’s 28 points in the league so far but were demolished here.
Speaking after the game, Rodgers took aim after his team for the midweek win over Dundee was leaked online, and again the team that eventually appeared vs Aberdeen appeared online pre-match. There was chat on forums and social media over the XI that he eventually picked midweek, going on to win the Premiership game 2-0. He said if the line-up came from Celtic-backing people, then they are not true supporters.
The boss said when asked if he was aware of the leaks: “It’s clearly disappointing. It’s something we have seen before and it’s not ideal. Modern game, there are no real secrets, that is the reality of it but it’s not nice when it gets out there.
“Especially if it comes out from Celtic supporters. It might feel great for someone’s ego to pass it on to other people but I can tell you as a manager that I have had that before with other teams. When I have got to know about it, that has really helped me in my preparation as I have come up with a plan to play against a team. I’ve then been told the day before a game, the team was going to play a totally different shape.
“I can then stick in another meeting at the hotel to say this is what we think the team is going to do as we have had a message. We go in the next day and the team is playing that shape. It really helped us to win the game. Whoever is putting it out, if it’s someone from Celtic, you are not a Celtic supporter. You’re not helping Celtic. If you are not a Celtic supporter, we will do everything we can to find out. For me, I don’t get angry about it.”
Rodgers was also booked in the game, over hilarious circumstances. Referee Kevin Clancy showed him a yellow for booting the ball in the first half, and he decked it onto the Hampden turf in the process.
On that moment, Rodgers joked: “I shouldn’t be falling over there! I think we will appeal the yellow card! I’m only joking. I bounced up pretty quickly. It was a good decision by Kevin.
Speaking about the game, Rodgers added to the BBC: “An outstanding team performance. You come up against a team that has been so, so good. We knew it would be a challenge. We had to bring our A-game. And the players did that, in particular during the second half
“We were ruthless. We worked the ball really well to create the space and made good runs. Lots of really good moments. It’s a beautiful pitch here at Hampden. It’s perfect for the football we want to play.
