Brendan Rodgers insists the final say on Celtic team selection will always rest with him, and not his backroom staff.
Ahead of Thursday's Old Firm derby at Ibrox, in which his team could move 17 points clear at the top, Rodgers credited the work done by his medical and sports science team but made clear that the responsibility lies in it when it comes to the starting lineup. .
His Rangers counterpart Philippe Clement has come under fire after deciding to rest several of his first-team regulars, including Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane, for Sunday's draw against Motherwell following recommendations from his coaching staff. support.
Rodgers, however, felt that it was the coach's job to make those big decisions and that sometimes “feelings and emotions” outweighed scientific reason when it came to deciding whether a player was ready to play or not.
“It's like any sector of my club, whether it's coaching, medicine, sports science or our wellness team,” the coach said. “I'm always there to listen, but in the end you decide as a coach: that's what they pay you for.”
“As a coach you get paid to listen to opinions, but ultimately the beauty of being a coach and leader is that you decide.”
Manager Brendan Rodgers says he is paid to make big decisions at Celtic
Rodgers speaks to his Celtic team on Tuesday ahead of the Old Firm derby at Ibrox.
The Celtic squad, led by my captain Callum McGregor (right), were in good spirits at training.
“I have a brilliant sports science team here who will give me all the information I need if I want it and, like everything, I'm open to it, but it doesn't drive me.”
“It motivates me to talk to the players and get a feel for them, because we all have moments in our lives when you might not want to do something, but somehow you get dragged into it and you say 'okay' and you quite enjoy it. He .
'So for me it's more about feeling. Again, I have a brilliant sports science team who know how we work and we know that sometimes we have to put pressure on the players.
“It may not feel good and it may not look good in a number, but this game is an art, and it's about feeling and emotion, and it's about working with the players and sometimes pushing them up a hill when Maybe they don't want to.” to go there.
“But that push gets them through and when they get to the other side, it's a great place.”
'(It's about) your instinct, your experience… like I said, I listen to my entire department in terms of the information I need.
'So I will be informed by it, but not driven by it. The game is about people.
“All the players here work very hard. I change the team to keep the energy, keep that enthusiasm in the team and the team has responded brilliantly to that. The game has to do with emotions, sensations and what the players are like.”
Rodgers heads to Ibrox looking to improve on his near-impeccable record against Rangers, having lost just once in 20 games against their biggest rivals. This is in stark contrast to Clement, who is still seeking his first derby victory after six unsuccessful attempts.
Celtic are the current holders of all three domestic trophies and are in good shape to claim another treble and advance in the Champions League. But Rodgers believes it is the derby results that most clearly define a manager's legacy in Glasgow.
“It's where you're judged at this level, working at Celtic or Rangers. I think you're judged in these games,” Rodgers added. “I saw Giovanni van Bronckhorst reach a European final and then lose his job shortly after because he was losing to Celtic.
“That's a huge measure for any coach and I'm fully aware of that, always have been.” Winning is very, very important. Beating your biggest rivals is very important and the progress of your club is important.
“I'm excited about (this game), excited about the preparation and what the team can offer. We want to go there with a professional mentality and work like we have been doing, consistently well, and feel the pressure, but play under pressure. To This is what we train for.”
Rodgers says despite 14-point difference, Old Firm derby not a dead rubber
Thursday's derby is different in that, for once, there is little tangible at stake, given that Celtic could lose to Rangers and still have an 11-point lead at the halfway point in the championship.
Rodgers, however, ruled out the idea of it easing the pressure on him or his players as they head to Ibrox to play once again without the backing of their supporters, still excluded from the match.
“I don't think there's any less stress,” he added. 'I hear people talk about “dead rubber”. There is never a game between Rangers and Celtic that is a dead game, at least in my opinion.
'The gap doesn't really come into play, I have to say. I went there last season under pressure and all that stuff. Now I arrive with a lead of 14 points. But there is no change for us, the mentality is to go play and try to play our game.
“That pressure will always be there and especially in a game at Ibrox without Celtic fans. But that makes it even better. You want to win every game and you want to perform at your best. It's an iconic game and one I always want to win.”