Brendan Rodgers has called for the Celtic board and supporters groups to sit down and resolve their differences ahead of more Parkhead protests.
Fans are planning a 29-minute silent protest against the club’s board at the start of Thursday night’s Europa League match at home to Braga.
The Parkhead hierarchy have come under heavy fire from large sections of a fanbase who feel their perceived failure to back the manager in the summer transfer window contributed to a Champions League exit at the hands of Kairat Almaty in late August.
The discontent is showing no signs of fading, with supporters planning to remain silent for 29 minutes to reflect what the Celtic Fans Collective group described as ‘29 days of silence from the Celtic board refusing to respond to an open letter signed by over 420 Celtic fan clubs and organisations’.
There was a 12-minute protest at last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Hibernian and another one lasting 32 minutes is planned for Sunday’s Premiership visit of Motherwell.
‘I think our focus is pretty much on the performance on the pitch, that is the only thing that we can control,’ Rodgers said on the eve of the Braga match.
Brendan Rodgers has asked the Celtic supporters for their full backing on Thursday night
Rodgers had outlined his transfer frustrations over the summer on various occasions
Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel wants Celtic to put all their focus on a Europa League run
‘I really hope that the stadium is full because that’s what Celtic is about for me. It’s an incredible club and our history is based around our supporters and what they bring. I understand frustrations, but I hope that we still have a full stadium here backing the team.
‘I think that obviously Celtic Park is renowned for its atmosphere and what it can do to the opponents.
‘But I suppose my message, probably for the longer term, is that hopefully both parties can sit down and respect the differences and find a solution so that we can all pull together again because that’s what’s always key here for Celtic.
‘Until that happens, I need to manage the team to maximise what we can get out of the team.’
Rodgers, who has spoken often about his frustrations with the summer transfer window, admitted his team are being undermined by a lack of firepower after winning just three of their last eight matches in all competitions.
‘Of course, we’re not scoring as many goals as normal,’ said the manager, who hopes to welcome midfielder Reo Hatate and defender Auston Trusty back into his squad.
‘But the team are still showing a real resilient side. We haven’t lost this season. Defensively, we are very strong.
‘You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand where and why we haven’t got the goals. A manager can always transform a team but the trajectory of a team will always come down to the level of players that you have. Football is not rocket science.
‘It was the same way back in years as to what it is now. The players ultimately will transform the trajectory of your football. So for us, we brought some new players in. We give them time to settle in.
‘But once we’re doing that, we support them and the players that are here. We continue to work with them and look to push the levels as we go through the season.’
Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, meanwhile, insisted Celtic’s Champions League anguish is in the past and they have now ‘refocused’ on enjoying a sustained run in the Europa League.
‘The Europa League is massively important, this is our reality,’ the experienced Dane said. ‘We can’t affect the past now, all we can go and do is do as well in this competition as possible, so it’s absolutely vitally important for us.
‘Any time you put on a Celtic shirt, you’re expected to win, whether it’s in Europa League, Champions League, whatever it is, you’re expected to win, and that’s the expectations that we have for ourselves. So, like I said, this is an extremely important competition for us.
‘We can’t affect the past, that’s the nature of being a professional footballer. You have disappointments and you have highs, you have lows. You have to learn to deal with them and move on very fast.
‘We had to move on after not making the Champions League, and we had to refocus, and that’s what we’ve done, so that’s in the past. What we can do now is focus on getting good results in this competition.’
Celtic have been struggling to score goals this term, but Schmeichel takes heart from the fact his side have conceded only three times in their 11 matches in all competitions.
‘I think we’ve done very well,’ he said. ‘At least in the time I’ve been here, we’ve been very, very solid. I think any good team is built on a solid defence.
‘As a team, we press very, very high up the pitch and we defend very, very well everywhere. We minimise chances for the opposition and I think we give ourselves a platform to go and win games, so I’m very, very happy with that.’
Braga have failed to win any of their last five matches in the Portuguese top flight but kicked off their Europa League campaign with a 1-0 home win over Feyenoord last week.
‘I think they’ll be a tough team to play against, but I’m very confident that if we play up to our potential, then we’ll be able to win the game,’ added Schmeichel.
