Rodgers is setting his Celtic side up for failure ahead of crunch Zenit clash
COMMENT
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers might feel he is doing the right thing by naming Zenit St Petersburg as favourites for their Europa League clash but he is ultimately setting his side up for failure.
The Hoops play host to the Russian side on Thursday night in the first leg of the knock out round, having dropped into Europe’s secondary cup competition after finishing third in their Champions League group.
Zenit meanwhile topped their Europa League group with five wins and one draw, but have not taken part in any competitive matches since the 11th of December as the Russian Premier League took their winter break.
As a result of their lack of games and impressive form in both their domestic competition, in which they sit second in the table, and their European campaign, Rodgers has made the bold move to name Celtic as the underdogs for the tie.
However, while there might be the perception that he is trying to take the pressure off his players with his claims, it could well lead to complacency and ultimately a sub-par performance from the Bhoys.
While Russia are without a doubt ranked higher in terms of UEFA’s club coefficient in comparison to Scotland, at sixth position to 27th, Celtic have a fan base which rightly demands success, and that should translate to the European stage.
Rodgers has international players at his disposal, and despite something of a faltering past couple of weeks for the Hoops, they are still a force to be reckoned with, as proven by their thrashing of Anderlecht in Belgium and the hard fought 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
The manager should not be admitting he thinks his side are inferior to the opposition, especially when the stakes are so high.
In other Celtic news, this Zenit legend thinks that these tactics will fail against the Russian’s.