Brendan Rodgers addressed the challenge of extracting top performance from his squad after Celtic faced their first away defeat to Dundee in 37 years on Sunday.
As part of their protest against the Parkhead board, largely due to a perceived lackluster summer transfer window, some traveling supporters disrupted the match by throwing multiple balls onto the pitch.
After the game resumed, Dundee’s Clark Robertson scored from a corner in the 17th minute, followed by an own goal from Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers just before halftime, sealing Celtic’s first loss at Dens Park since 1988.
The start of the game at Dens Park is interrupted due to Celtic fans protesting against the club’s board ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/2qzYWxPUt1
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) October 19, 2025
Celtic has lost players like Kyogo Furuhashi in January, as well as Adam Idah and Nicolas Kühn during the summer, and Rodgers has openly expressed his discontent with the transfer dealings.
“It’s not always a straightforward path throughout the season, that’s for sure,” he noted.
“The difficulties we faced during the summer, losing a significant amount of attacking prowess and goals from our lineup, are evident.”
“You can’t expect to race with a Honda Civic and drive it like a Ferrari—it just doesn’t work that way,” he added.
“Until we see changes, I’ve got to seek out solutions. Goals and speed have left the team, and we need to find a way to improve.”
“We had a chance to make the necessary adjustments over the summer, but that didn’t happen. Now it’s about experimenting with different formations, whether that’s 4-3-3, 3-4-3, or 3-5-2.”
Celtic remains five points behind leaders Hearts, whom they face at Tynecastle next weekend following a Europa League match against Sturm Graz on Thursday.
Rodgers emphasized the need for his players to step up.
“I told them that now is the moment to show true character, as playing for Celtic is rewarding when the trophies are flowing and the football is exciting—but you must cope with pressure,” he explained.
“The result and performance today fell short. This isn’t acceptable for Celtic.”
“I’ve been here many times over the years, and today was not reflective of our standards, so we must find a way to improve.”
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Dundee manager Steven Pressley expressed his delight with the remarkable victory and how his team bounced back from a 4-0 defeat to Aberdeen previously.
The former Celtic and Rangers defender stated, “I’m incredibly proud of this group of players. Beating Celtic requires a mix of skill and a touch of luck.”
“We also needed to show great determination and resilience in our gameplay. While tactics are discussed, it’s ultimately down to the players to execute them, and I felt they performed exceptionally well today. “I couldn’t be more proud, especially after the challenging weeks following the Aberdeen match.”