‘We’ve Go To Create It’ – Rodgers explains six changes after lackluster first-half performances

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has spoken ahead of the match against Ross County about his decision to make six changes from the team that started against Club Brugge in midweek.

With the match ending 1-1, the first half was below the standard expected before the match, which has led to a number of players being benched.

Those who came off the bench against the Belgian champions made a real impact in the second half.

Soccer – Scottish League Cup – Semi Final – Celtic v Aberdeen – Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, UK – November 2, 2024 Celtic’s Alex Valle before the match REUTERS/Craig Brough

Rodgers said: (BBC Sports Sound), “It just gives freshness to the team. I trust the team today. We want great energy in the game; we don’t want to wait for the game to come to us.

“We have to go and create that and for that we want players who can go out and hopefully impact the game and bring a positive energy.”

Simply put, Rodgers has made most of the changes fans would have expected, highlighting his experience in understanding the game and knowing when to rotate his side.

With midweek having both positives and negatives, the Irishman has used both to influence his decision-making this afternoon.

Alex Valle and Paulo Bernardo in particular showed against Brugge how close they are to starting.

With an opportunity this afternoon, they could really cement their place in the starting XI ahead of Aberdeen on Wednesday at Pittodrie.