The Hoops boss didn't lose a knockout game during his first spell at the club but suffered defeat in his first one back at Kilmarnock.
The Celtic manager suffered setbacks in his first spell at Parkhead but he never had to pick up the pieces after a shock cup exit. Rodgers admits it was magical last time – but the spell has been broken. But rather than spent all week under the duvet lamenting the prospect of another Treble going up in smoke, the Hoops boss is determined to come out fighting. Defeat at Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup certainly wasn’t in his script.
“Knowing that when I came in the first time how everything was, I pretty much knew it wasn’t going to be like that the second time. But that’s life. We have no God-given right to win every single competition. I know people will look for perfection but it won’t be that. Especially this early on in the process.
In fairness, Rodgers refused to make excuses for last week after the final whistle and he’s not spent the days since searching for a get out of jail card. He said: “It’s just we weren’t good enough on the day. Kilmarnock’s defensive game was very good. We can talk about the surface, we can talk about injuries, but the first 10 minutes we should have been 2-0 up.
“But it just gives me even greater determination to keep improving on what we are doing. I hope over my period of time here we have more highs than lows.” “And I’m not going to kill my own joy and analyse something like that. Of course, if it is repetitive you can look at it. I felt at the time that it was in the balance, but we didn’t get it.”
Some of the recent new recruits might be chucked in now rather than drip fed into the side. Rodgers has no fears over Gustaf Lagerbielke, who will now play a leading role having barely got his feet in the door.
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