The calm before the Sturm…

Celtic defender Liam Scales takes a break in training as the team prepare for tonight’s Europa League clash against Sturm Graz

Celtic have hit a speed bump and Rodgers needs quick fix

Manager stands by his ‘Honda Civic v Ferrari’ comment ahead of Europa tie with Sturm Graz

The game will look different but we can still be better, faster and more dynamic Brendan Rodgers

23 Oct 2025 - The Scotsman

Ronnie Esplin sportts@scotsman.com

Brendan Rodgers has no regrets about his “Honda Civic” comments which were widely interpreted as criticism of his Celtic players in their shock 2-0 defeat by Dundee on Sunday. the match which left the Parkhead side five points behind William Hill Premiership leaders Hearts, whom they play away this Sunday, the manager said: “There's no way you'll go into a race and be given the keys to a Honda Civic and say, 'I want you to drive it like a Ferrari'.”Brendan Rodgers at training at Lennoxtown yesterday, main, and Celtic losing 2-0 to Dundee in the Premiership on Sunday afternoon, above

Speaking ahead of tonight's Europa League clash with Austrian side Sturm Graz, Rodgers noted the diminished speed in his squad with the departure of Kyogo Furuhashi in January and Nicolas Kuhn in the summer, while Jota has not been available all season due to injury.

“Yeah, listen, it's something that I said at the time and I said it because I felt it so I've got no regret, no,” said the Northern Irishman.

“I don't know because I haven't seen or read or heard anything, but it was based around the speed in our team.

“Clearly, it's not the same as what we had last season. I'm pretty sure both of those cars got a different speed, so that was the reference to that.

“It's a different profile of player. If you think of what we had, the football is going to look different.

“Kyogo and Daizen [Maeda] – when he's playing – and Nicolas Kuhn, it's a different level of speed.

“So we don't have that. The game will look different but we can still be better and faster and more dynamic in our actions. That's the challenge.” Rodgers confirmed Japan striker Daizen Maeda, who missed the Dundee defeat with a hamstring problem, remains out while hinting that right-back Alistair Johnston could return this evening after recovering from a longterm hamstring injury.

He added: “I'm not really worried, to be honest. You can't please everyone and nobody's trying to do that now. The players know that I'm with them, I've always been with them.

“Our focus is now on performing and performing to our best level.”

Disgruntled Celtic supporters, in an on-going protest against the club's board, threw dozens of balls on to the field at Dens Park straight after kickoff to delay the game. Play was held up for a few minutes as players from both teams and members of the Dundee groundstaff cleared the balls from Kasper Schmeichel’s goalmouth.

However, amid the “disharafter mony” at the club – it wasn’t the first time this season that the fans have made their feelings against the board clear – Rodgers insisted he had “never been so motivated in my time at Celtic”.

He added: “I would say I'm a transformational coach – it's a transformational style.

“So I think I can come into a club and teach and inspire and motivate players.

“At this point in time I can't be any more motivated to turn it around. It's OK when you're winning trophies and playing great football and everything else.

“We all have seen the challenges from the summer through till now and the continuation of that.

“I'm so determined to try to turn the feeling around, the feeling on and off the pitch.

“Because for me, it's not what Celtic is about and not what Celtic should be about.

“This is an amazing club. Yeah, you will get frustrated at times. I can never – with the greatest respect to Dundee – expect a Celtic team to go on and lose.

“We were talking six months ago about the challenge in the latter stages of Champions League and now we're losing these types of games. So I'm super motivated to do the very best that I can for this club.”

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1  - draw and one defeat so far for Celtic in the Europa League

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Scales urging players to ‘get back to basics’ and ‘buy into the system’

23 Oct 2025 - The Scotsman

Ronnie Esplin

Liam Scales believes Celtic have to get back to basics as they prepare for a “massive” Europa League home clash with Sturm Graz tonight.

Celtic’s unconvincing start to the season continued on Sunday when they lost 2-0 to Dundee and their first defeat at Dens Park in 37 years left them with just one win in five games in all competitions and five points behind Premiership leaders Hearts.

After being knocked out of the Champions League playoff by Kazakhstan side Kairat Almaty, Brendan Rodgers' side have taken one point from six in their opening two Europa League fixtures, a 1-1 draw away to Red Star Belgrade followed by a 2-0 home defeat by Braga.

The 27-year-old Republic of Ireland international defender accepted the need for instant improvement and outlined what he believes is required.

He said: “I think everyone just needs to buy into the systemthatwewanttoplayand get back to basics in that sense of running more than the opposition, being more clinical, faster and more decisive.

“At both ends of the pitch as well, not just going forward but defending as well.

“We've conceded a few goals in the last couple of games that we're not happy with, so it's both ends of the pitch, just being more decisive and really doing the basics as well and I think outworking the opposition is massive for us.

“I think maybe that's dropped a little and it's hard to put a finger on why, but we just know that that's what we need to do to improve.

“Every game is big for us, but we want to get our first win in the competition obviously, and we have a good chance to do that on Thursday. We just need to really show up and play well.”

Sturm Graz arrived in Glasgow last night and the players had a walk on the pitch at Parkhead.

Their manager, Jürgen Säumel, is wary of a Celtic backlash following the surprise defeat at Dens.

“Well, we expect a Celtic team that will give everything, that wants to show a reaction after they lost the last game,” said Samuel, speaking through an interpreter. “We know that they have a great team with great individuals.

“But I’m focused on my team, on my players. We want to follow our principles and we can. We have to make our next steps because we want to improve from game to game in Europe.”