Brendan Rodgers praised his players for their mentality in grinding out a late win over an impressive Motherwell side, with the Celtic manager admitting that his team is currently ‘nowhere near our level’.
Celtic had taken the lead through a Kelechi Iheancho penalty, but a double from visiting striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos either side of the interval had allowed Motherwell to turn the game on its head.
An error from their goalkeeper Calum Ward allowed Benjamin Nygren to level, and Celtic piled on the pressure from there on in as they looked to grab a vital winner.
They did so at the last as Daizen Maeda stooped to nod home Michel Ange Balikwisha’s low cross in stoppage time, a victory that Rodgers put down to their reserves of guts rather than guile.
“We’re nowhere near our level,” Rodgers said.
“That’s the reality. I think we can all see that in terms of where I would want us to be. But you have to get results. You have to find a way and you have to dig deep and show heart. The players did that today.
“It was a fantastic win for us. You can see why Motherwell hadn’t lost a game. The build-up play, how they build the game up and the confidence they play with - the coach deserves a huge amount of credit because we had to be really on it and organised in our pressing.
“We got a goal from that, but there were other moments where they came through the pitch and they deserve a lot of credit for what they gave to the game.
“I thought our players deserved it. I think the mentality of going behind in the game, it's not easy to play here when you go behind. But we kept fighting. The subs coming into the game made a great impact for us.
“In that final 15 minutes where we had them pinned back and moving the ball at speed and creating opportunities, it was great to see.”
Rodgers also admitted that this current spell – with continuing disquiet in the stands over the summer transfer window and his team performing below the standards they have set over previous seasons – has been his toughest as Celtic manager.
“Yes it is,” he said.
“I think when I first came back it was a challenge. But yes, having to work so hard to try to get balance, try to get speed, try to get everything into the team when there's certain characteristics that are missing from the squad. You need to win, you need to find a way to win, and I do believe that as the season goes on, we will be better.
“But the speed in the team that we've had over the last few seasons, it's not quite the same. However, we have to find a way. We have to find a way to get the win. And the players did that today, showing a big heart, a lot of spirit, great determination and a lot of fight, which is what you need over the course of a long season.”
Rodgers reserved special praise for goal hero Maeda, who has been out of sorts of late after admitting he wanted to leave the club in the summer, but hadn’t been allowed to do so.
“He just deserves so much credit,” he said.
“This is a guy that I'd seen before I came in here, then for over two years now, he's given his heart and soul to this club.
“Everything that happened in the summer is well-documented and that's not easy. If it affects a player like him, then you know how deep it goes. But he's still turned up every day.
“He's playing in probably the third [favourite] position if you asked him, because we have a gap on that side. He's just got on with it.
“You see the difference the minute he comes over [to the left]. His pressing, the intensity, everything changes for him. I just felt he's the type that can nick you a goal. He gets in with a nice little move and he gets the goal.
“I’m so, so happy for him and his family because he's given so much to this club and he will continue to do that.”
