Celtic

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media as he prepares for Saturday's Scottish Cup tie against Raith Rovers.

Here are the main points:

• Rodgers is relieved that Celtic supporters will be able to attend the Champions League play-off second leg at Bayern Munich after the club avoided a ban.

• It is "good the news has come out now so we can concentrate on the football", and Rodgers adds: "The support that we get and the passion that they have for the game, that really drives us and helps us. So to have them there, it's going to be great and we'll need them."

• Kasper Schmeichel will miss Saturday's cup tie because of a back injury - Vilijami Sinisalo will come in - but Rodgers says the Dane will be fit for Wednesday's Champions League first leg.

• On Greg Taylor, who is out of contract in the summer, Rodgers says there was interest in January but he is still hopeful of convincing the left-back to sign an extension.

• The Celtic boss admits Kieran Tierney's summer arrival has played a part in Taylor's reluctance to sign a new deal. But Rodgers guarantees his current left-back's game-time wouldn't be significantly diminished even when Tierney arrives.

• Jeffery Schlupp, who made his debut against Dundee on Wednesday, is going to "fit in perfectly" even though Rodgers concedes the club didn't expect to lose Alex Valle in the January window.

• On VAR, Rodgers says: "There's a number of things that fit around it. There's clearly a funding issue in terms of maybe not having the best system in place. Everyone would love a big house but if you can't afford it you can't get it, so then you have to adapt and deal with it. I think it's the same with officiating."

• He agrees with St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson's suggestion of full-time referees but adds "for that to happen you need funding".

• On Raith Rovers, Rodgers is expecting a tough, competitive match but is making sure his team just "play our game".

Colin Moffat
BBC Sport Scotland

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Queen's Park and Raith Rovers go up against the Old Firm and both are away from home, so it may be a question of 'take the money and run', hoping that the scorelines can be kept respectable.

Celtic will have one eye on Bayern Munich in the Champions League play-offs and Rovers can take heart from the fight Falkirk put up against Brendan Rodgers' B team in the League Cup before Nicolas Kuhn came on to terrorise them.

The Kirkcaldy side also have very special League Cup final memories against Celtic - although that was more than 30 years ago now and Rodgers has a Scottish Cup record of played 18, won 18.

Read all the Scottish Cup picks

Scott Brown recalls his famous celebration after scoring Celtic's Scottish Cup equaliser at Ibrox in a 2-2 Old Firm derby draw in 2011.

Watch Brown's Ayr United host Hibs in the Scottish Cup fifth round tonight on BBC Scotland from 19:30 GMT.

Celtic full-back Greg Taylor has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Dinamo Zagreb at the end of the season. (Sportnet via Daily Record, external)

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

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Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

There's a constituency among the Celtic support that believes the club have really missed a trick by not pushing the boat out to replace departed striker Kyogo Furuhashi.

A failure of vision, strategy, ambition, is how they see it. A failure of recruitment which manager Brendan Rodgers is adamant will be addressed going forward.

If Celtic knew last summer the Japan striker wanted to leave, surely groundwork could have been done to source an adequate replacement by the end of January?

I have a lot of sympathy with that view. Indeed, on this very page last week I opined this was the prime time for the blazers to stick their necks out, as well as the chequebook.

Didn't happen. Yet I find myself wondering if the Parkhead garden is not still pretty rosy? Could Celtic actually be just as strong, if not stronger, despite the admitted failure to bring in a like-for-like replacement for Kyogo?

The answer lies with Jota. Despite the fact the club are fairly well off for wingers, the return of the Portuguese fan favourite has raised the bar yet higher in terms of quality on offer to the manager.

Jota may not score as many goals as Kyogo but he will create them for others. In two short cameos already, he has contributed a goal, an assist and the kind of quality deliveries from out wide that Celtic have been missing.

For all their fine play, assists and goals, I'm not sure Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn cross a ball as well as the new number seven. The former two are more likely to cut infield in search of goals, as their stats indicate - 35 between them this season already. It really is a remarkable number.

Rodgers' ability to rotate arguably the three best wingers in the country is a fearsome weapon. In the absence of Kyogo, the manager can also say to the striker he paid £9m for in the previous transfer window: "Right then, Adam. Show me you're the main man up front."

Idah has scored four goals in his last three games. Two of them away to Aston Villa in the Champions League.

Rodgers may privately lament the lack of the new striker he coveted but he has returned one of the most gifted players in the Premiership.

As a direct consequence, others are flourishing alongside him. Yes, Kyogo is gone, but are Celtic really weaker than they were at the start of January?

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Fourteen years on, it's still a game that takes the breath away.

Walter Smith's Rangers welcomed bitter rivals Celtic to Ibrox with a place in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup at stake.

If only what followed was so straightforward.

Teenage midfielder Jamie Ness set the tone with a superb strike from distance a little over two minutes in, before Celtic's Kris Commons levelled 15 minutes later.

Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster had a day to forget in Govan. Not long after nearly gifting a goal to Rangers via Steven Davis - whose shot cannoned off the crossbar - he conceded a penalty and was shown a red card for bringing down Steven Naismith.

Steven Whittaker did the business from the spot to fire the hosts back in front with a man advantage, too. Not for long, though.

After a spell of pressure, captain Scott Brown curled in an effort from distance to haul Celtic level once more.

Davis and Nikica Jelavic came close, but the winner couldn't be found.

Level on the scoreboard, the sides were level on numbers too when Naismith was shown a red card after two yellows.

After a captivating cup clash, the sides couldn't be split and to a replay they went. More red card mayhem followed in that 'shame game', with Rangers having three players sent off as Mark Wilson's strike sent Celtic through 1-0.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland

A finer goal you will struggle to see this season.

From their own byeline, Celtic worked the ball upfield with a seven-pass sequence to Daizen Maeda.

The forward still had plenty to do, but his deft and delicate finish from just inside the Dundee box was exquisite, arcing over goalkeeper Trevor Carson and under the crossbar.

Michael Stewart described it as a "ludicrous finish" on BBC Scotland Sportsound, while Lee Miller went even further: "That's one of the best goals I've seen."

The goal was Maeda's second in four minutes and Celtic's fourth in the 6-0 destruction of Dundee, taking the Japan forward's tally to 18 in his most productive season for the club. His previous best for Celtic was 11.

Maeda's finishing hasn't always been his strongest attribute during his Celtic career, but this term has seen a marked improvement.

The 27-year-old, who now has five goals in his past five games, grabbed a double against Dundee from an xG (expected goals) of just 0.57. Maeda attempted two shots, scoring both, while his six touches in the opposition box was the most of any player, likewise his three chances created.

His industry - a facet that makes him a fans' favourite - was also on display, with Maeda competing in seven duels and winning possession three times.

"The thing that frightens me, he never looks tired," former Scotland striker Miller added.

"He is a defender's nightmare. I do not know where he gets the energy from."

We asked for your views after Celtic hammered Dundee 6-0 to go 13 points clear at the Premiership summit.

Here's what some of you said:

Andy: Sublime performance, so glad for Adam Idah. I was one of his many critics but I'm glad the big man has made me eat my words and he's a true Celt as well.

John: Not quite the Larsson chip, Daizen, but not bad coming in from the wrong wing! We must hold on to Greg Taylor. Idah working so hard and leads well.

Stephen: Great performance, great result. Totally unstoppable. Maeda was absolutely fantastic, as was Arne Engels. He's starting to show why Celtic paid so much money for his services.

Peter: For once we scored the goals that our excellent team play deserved. Very impressive. Competition for places in starting line-up will keep everyone on their toes. Play like this every week and another domestic treble is assured. Maeda's second goal was a thing of beauty. Engels impressive.

John: It looks like Kyogo will not be missed in these run-of-the-mill league games. The real test will be against European opposition and Rangers. Maeda has the flexibility to play through the middle as he does with Japan but Idah is tightly holding in to the number nine jersey with his four goals in three games.

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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers believes Adam Idah is thriving on the responsibility of filling the void left by Kyogo Furuhashi.

Republic of Ireland striker Idah made it four goals in three games with the second in Wednesday night's 6-0 rout of Dundee as Celtic stretched their lead at the top to 13 points.

"He was always going to have to be patient here and obviously the nature of having a brilliant striker in Kyogo, who fitted a lot of how I want the team to play and pressing and everything else," said Rodgers.

"He comes in and he has to fit around that but he still made big contributions.

"I think he's taken that responsibility now and he sees this as an opportunity for him because he knows at Celtic he has to produce and you have to produce consistently.

"So pleased for him, he's just moving different now and he's getting a real handful.

"His goal was very good, makes a good run, gets his shot off, doesn't lie about the floor, gets up and then he's able to get the rebound and a really good finish. Very pleased for him."

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• Celtic's Daizen Maeda has contributed to goals in his past four games in the Premiership (four goals, four assists). The Japan forward's current three-game scoring streak streak is his longest in the competition.

• Dundee have failed to win in their past four games in the Premiership, their last longer winless streak was from 24 August 2024 to 5 October 2024, a run of five games.

• Celtic have kept a clean sheet in 18 of their 25 games, more than any other in the Premiership this season.

• Celtic have scored 18 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, more than any other team in the Premiership this season.

• Dundee have conceded 13 goals to opposition substitutes in the Premiership this season, more than any other team.

Celtic fans, what did you make of your side's thumping 6-0 win against Dundee?

Have your say on the match., external

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

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When Kyogo completed his move to French side Rennes, it posed questions about what Celtic's attack might look like for the rest of the season.

Here, they showed they are still a devastating force without the Japan striker, lead by his international colleague Daizen Maeda.

His pace in behind the Dundee defence was a constant threat and he looked completely unfussed by switching wings, harrying the opposition throughout the game

The 27-year-old created three chances - the joint-most of any player - and had more touches in the opposition box than anyone else.

His second goal reflected how high his confidence levels are at present, sending an arcing first-time shot over a helpless Trevor Carson and into the top corner.

Adam Idah scored his fourth goal in his last three outings as he continues to step up in Kyogo's absence, and Jota showed his class too on his first start since returning to Glasgow.

The Portuguese winger's cross for Maeda's first was a delightful pick out, and he will only improve as he gets more minutes into his legs.

Nicolas Kuhn's introduction off the bench showed the depth of quality Rodgers has at his disposal and he put the icing on the cake with a whipped left-footed strike late on.

On this showing and given the big gap, it seems a certainty that the league title will be staying at Parkhead come May.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "Definitely one of the best [performances] of our season.

"From minute one to the 93rd minute we had a real hunger in our game and real quality in our game.

"Tony's [Docherty] team over the course of the season have, in the main, defended well and been very strong and we saw that up there when we played against them.

"But we were never going to make the same mistake as what we did in the 3-3 game.

"I think you saw the difference tonight with the counter-pressing and the numbers around the ball and winning the duels, and that gives us the possibilities to play and when we play like that then we can produce great moments.

"We play so many games and our idea is to improve every game. We want to be able to effect games through to the end. Jota is still finding his way but you can his his class and his quality on the ball. Daizen [Maeda] has 18 goals now, Nicolas [Kuhn] 17 goals, and obviously Adam [Idah] gets his goal.

"It's been a really good season up to now. You arrive to this point in a good place and then you've got to keep your foot to the floor. We have to stay concentrated, keep showing aggression on the pitch and keep our humility."

We asked for your views on Celtic's business in the January transfer window.

Here's what some of you said:

Chris: The board have let the fans down and more to the point they have let Brendan Rodgers down. Kyogo wanted to part ways months ago and yet they waited until he walks out the door before attempting to try and find a replacement. If the board don't want to spend any money to buy players then why should the fans spend our money to go watch the club?

RC: Dreadful window for Celtic. If we knew Kyogo wanted away, several options should have been scouted and shortlisted from long-term solutions to shorter-term options. Definitely weaker in terms of squad depth. Jota the only silver lining. Fingers crossed Idah/Maeda stay fit!

Denis: It's always difficult to get the right players in without paying through the nose. The players Celtic are looking at think they're more valuable than they are. If they are that good then I'm sure other top European clubs would be interested. So, we shouldn't be pushed into paying more than they are worth.

Clem: Difficult one, but disappointing. If we had brought in Adam Idah after his exploits last season in this window, we would most likely be delighted. But we needed to replace Kyogo in some form. It does ask the question of where our ambition is? Celtic can and should be able to cater for two quality strkers. So overall, a disappointing window.

James: I am happy with the return of Jota.. The departure of Kyogo is a loss but his form has not been great under our manager and his best goals tally came when Jota was supplying the goals. Onwards and upwards with an opportunity to give Johnny Kenny and/or Daniel Cummings a go. Who knows, they may save us a fortune.

Eddie: We've got as far as we can in Champions League, we won't get past Bayern so wise not getting held to ransom and paying over the odds. We have enough in the tank to win the domestic trophies, so wait till the summer and spend wisely.

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Jeffrey Schlupp says he has fulfilled a dream by joining Celtic and wants to achieve "great things" with the club.

The 32-year-old Ghana international completed a deadline-day move from Crystal Palace to the Scottish champions for the remainder of the season.

Schlupp, who could make his debut against Dundee tonight, told Celtic TV: "I'm super excited. It's actually been one of my dreams, as much as many others, to play for such a great club like Celtic.

"I had the pleasure of playing here about nine years ago in a pre-season match, so I've actually been to the stadium before and the atmosphere and everything about it was something exciting.

"So as soon as the opportunity came up, I was really excited about it."

Schlupp is relishing his reunion with former Leicester City team-mate Kasper Schemichel - the pair helped the Foxes to Premier League glory in 2016 - and the opportunity to pursue a domestic treble, as well as facing Bayern Munich in the upcoming Champions League play-off.

"Kasper was one of the first people I spoke to when this opportunity came up," he added.

"He messaged me and we spoke, and he told me about how great the club is, how much I'll enjoy playing here, and I can't wait to link up again.

"I've watched the other Champions League games and the boys have performed so well in it.

"I want to repay the manager for the faith he has in bringing me here, and hopefully I can do that with some good performances and hopefully we, as a squad, can achieve some great things."

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• Dundee remain winless in 45 meetings with Celtic in all competitions (D7 L38), although the sides' 3-3 draw last month was the first time the Dark Blues scored 3+ goals against the Hoops in a match since October 1988 (3-2 win).

• Celtic have won 20 of their past 22 home games against Dundee in all competitions (D2) since a 2-0 defeat in May 2001. The Hoops have won their past six home games in a row over Dundee by an aggregate score of 24-3.

• Celtic have won each of their past seven home league games by an aggregate score of 23-0. The Hoops last won more in a row without conceding at Celtic Park in March 2014 (9).

• Dundee have won their past two away league outings, as many as their previous 17 beforehand (W2 D5 L10).

• After scoring in the 3-3 draw between these sides last month, having also scored two league goals for Dundee earlier this season, Celtic's Luke McCowan is the first player to score both for and against the same side in a Scottish Premiership season since Tony Watt with both Dundee United and Motherwell in 2021-22. He's the frst to do so for and against Dundee in the competition since Simon Murray in 2017-18.

Celtic look set to miss out on Slovan Bratislava forward David Strelec, 23, this summer. (Mail - subscription), external

Strelec's father says a move to Celtic for his son in January would have been "great". (Record), external

New Tottenham forward Mason Melia, 17, had been a target for Celtic. (Sun), external

Kieran Tierney, 27, is set to return to Celtic from Arsenal this summer and the Premiership champions' manager Brendan Rodgers reveals a January move to Glasgow for the Scotland defender was "never close". (Herald - subscription), external

Football finance expert Stefan Borson believes Celtic will bank more than £40m from European participation this season. (Football Insider), external

Ayr United manager and former Celtic and player Scott Brown is not interested in the vacancy at Motherwell. (Sun), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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Celtic striker Adam Idah is excited about the prospect of an extended run of starts going into the second half of the season.

The Republic of Ireland international, 23, has scored three goals in two games since Kyogo Furuhashi was sold to Rennes and the Scottish champions have not signed another striker.

"Of course, it's nice for me, obviously, that potentially I've got a lot more game time on my hands, but at the end of the day, it's not my decision whether the club signs a striker or not," he said.

"I want to be the main man, and I want to have that role and responsibility to try and help the team.

"So it's exciting times for me, and hopefully I can carry on the goal scoring that I've been doing."

Idah now has 11 goals for the season, with 20 of his 34 appearances coming from the bench.

"You want to play as many minutes as you can and I'm ready to take that role now," he added.

"But it's all about the team. I don't think I'd be too bothered if another striker came in, because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing, and that's to win as many trophies and titles as we can."

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Brendan Rodgers says he "can't have the hump" with Celtic's transfer business in January as it would hamper his "motivational style of management".

The manager admitted the squad is "lighter and tighter" but has learned "not to kill your joy over things you can't actually control".

The league leaders brought Portuguese winger Jota back to the club before signing Premier League winner Jeffrey Schlupp on a loan deal until the end of the season.

"I think what's very, very important is that what you learn through experience is the emotional transfer," Rodgers said when previewing the Scottish Premiership game with Dundee on Wednesday.

"Because if you have the hump, with the greatest respect, then as the coach and the leader, my leadership style is very much a motivational style where I like to teach, I like to inspire and I like to motivate.

"Now, you've got to be in a good mood for that, in the main. As I said repeatedly, with experience you learn not to kill your joy over things you can't actually control. As we're sat here now, we can do absolutely nothing about it."

Rodgers said he understands supporters' frustration at not signing a replacement for striker Kyogo who left for Rennes, but, added he "doesn't want to pin the blame on anyone" for any deals not transpiring.

"I think as a collective, it wasn't ideal how it ended for us," he added.

"We have to, as a club now, go away and look at that, like we'll do in every window, that's what you have to do. I don't want to pin blame on anyone here.

"I said it myself, we wanted another striker, so we're not hiding behind anything, and absolutely, the supporters will look and see what a top striker has gone out - a legendary striker - and we haven't replaced it.

"So I understand that, but, all I can do is affect what we have now work and work very, very hard and finish off what has been, until now, a great season for us."