Brendan Rodgers raises Celtic squad 'expectations' concern | Fitbaw Talk - video Dailymotion

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00:00Hello and welcome to the latest episode of National World's Fitbit Talk,

00:04your weekly lowdown on all things Celtic and Rangers related.

00:09Failed to capitalise on Rangers slip-up again on Saturday,

00:14I was across this match against St Johnson, rock-bottom St Johnson,

00:18who were detached at the foot of the Premiership table heading into this one,

00:22desperate for points in their bid to avoid a dreaded relegation into the Championship.

00:28And Brendan Rodgers kind of spoke afterwards about expectation levels and how he feels he's

00:36learned quite a lot around how his players cope with certain games.

00:43Interesting quotes, I kind of thought he was talking post-match about, you know,

00:48it's easy enough to be an underdog in a Champions League game, but when you play for Celtic,

00:53you need to obviously, on the domestic scene, be dominant, don't you?

00:59This was a kind of result that not many saw coming, but Brendan Rodgers seemed to.

01:05What did he make of his comments?

01:07I do wonder if when he wakes up tomorrow or today even, sees it,

01:12and he'll maybe regret some of them a wee bit.

01:14I thought they were quite strong.

01:16It cut a reading to me that it was just somebody who was raging with how that panned out.

01:23I wasn't surprised by the performance, I was surprised by the result,

01:25because I think they've obviously lost to Hibs in recent weeks, they've lost to Rangers.

01:31I just feel at the edge since the Champions League game against Bayerns came right out,

01:35the Celtic team, that they know the league's done.

01:37They've already won the Premier Sports Cup.

01:39They know that the likelihood is they'll probably win the Scottish Cup,

01:43and they'll be able to go through enough gears that they'll take care of St.

01:47John's in the semi-final, and they'll probably take care of Aberdeen or Harts in the final.

01:53I think that's where Brendan Rodgers' concern maybe comes from,

01:56as we're talking about the Rangers.

01:58It probably isn't going to be the case every season until the end of time

02:02that they get to that stage and they can just waltz through it.

02:05There was a chance to win the title before the split,

02:08which would be still a really achievement, a real good achievement, the race to the title.

02:13Do it in front of their own fans, a half-twelve kickoff.

02:15Sky have picked the game for half-twelve purely because of that potential, clearly.

02:20And for that, you're then waiting.

02:24You could potentially win it with players in the house.

02:27I've seen a few fans actually saying even this is a possibly treble-winning team,

02:33a likely treble-winning team.

02:34It feels like the season's just fizzling out a wee bit, which is a bit odd.

02:38But I do wonder.

02:39The comments were a bit strong,

02:40because I think they have shown this season that domestically,

02:42they can take care of these teams.

02:45Yeah, I can't help but feel it comes from what Rodgers has spoken about,

02:50in terms of keeping the foot on the pedal.

02:52He's spoken a lot about playing with intensity and pace.

02:56But a lot of these players, in particular, Dyson Maeda at the weekend,

03:01I wouldn't say looked out on his feet,

03:03but he looks like a player in need of a bit of a rest.

03:06Just finally then, let's touch on Dyson Maeda.

03:1030 goals this season.

03:11He was chasing down Marc Viduca's record of 10 consecutive goals.

03:16For a Celtic player, he was on nine heading into this game.

03:19Never really looked like scoring, in all honesty.

03:22But a lot of developments over the last 10 days or so,

03:26around chat that Celtic are looking at tying him down on a new deal.

03:34Improved terms, I believe.

03:36Obviously, there's been plenty of speculation for a good number of years now,

03:39linking him with Moose to the Tottenham and things like that.

03:44I want to find out from you, Ben,

03:45what do you reckon an informed Dyson Maeda,

03:48given that he's 27, he's going to turn 28 in October,

03:52he's at the peak of his career at this moment in time.

03:56If you were looking to sell Dyson Maeda this summer,

04:01how much do you believe he should be valued at?

04:04I think if it was a couple years younger,

04:08then it would probably go for quite a considerable fee.

04:14I think what the Champions League will have done

04:16is it will have put him on a platform,

04:17I don't think there are many better.

04:19It's certainly the speed that he goes at,

04:21in terms of the pressing ability that he gives.

04:25And I think this season, obviously, he scored the goals he has,

04:27and he's added that to his game.

04:29We have maybe not seen that consistently enough yet

04:31to bank on him at Champions League level.

04:33But I think in terms of his all-round plays,

04:35pressing, the way he leads from the front,

04:36the way he ball carries up the park,

04:39I think there would be teams at that level willing to go,

04:42you know what, let's try and test the waters.

04:45Because mainly in the Premier League,

04:47but a Premier League team, £20-25 million,

04:49now that used to be a jaw-dropping fee,

04:52and it still is for clubs like Celtic to get.

04:55But for the clubs to spend,

04:57it's not necessarily massive fees anymore.

05:00So the way Dyson Maida looks after himself,

05:03you would imagine he could play at this level

05:05into his early 30s, let's sort of 33, 34,

05:09before you start seeing any decline.

05:12So, you know, if you're an upwardly mobile Premier League team,

05:16say, you know, Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest

05:19or these type of teams who are in and around that area,

05:22and you're looking for a cost-effective to a point option

05:28who's played at that level,

05:30why would you not go and chuck £20-25 million at Celtic?

05:33Because I think £25 million seems to be the fee

05:35that, you know, Celtic are quite happy with.

05:40You moved up to 30 with Matt O'Reilly,

05:42I don't think you quite get that with Dyson Maida.

05:44But I think if they can get in that 20-25 ballpark,

05:47then I think you're not forced to sell them,

05:50but to buy into your trading model, you kind of need to.

05:53That's kind of the pathway you sell.

05:54Come here, do well,

05:55and you can get a bigger move elsewhere

05:57to one of these Premier League clubs

05:58or Champions League clubs.

06:01But I think it would be a huge mess.

06:02I mean, you can't replace it.

06:04You can't replace it light for light.

06:05You would need to come up with a totally new solution

06:08and strategy to replace him.

06:10You know, it would be Moneyball type stuff.

06:12You can't replace him directly.

06:13You need to replace him in the aggregate.

06:16Yeah, do you think, yeah, just finally then,

06:18do you think that the fact he is so versatile as well,

06:21he could play anywhere across the front line,

06:23do you think that adds on a couple million

06:25to his price tag as well?

06:27Possibly, but I think he's better out on the flanks.

06:29I know he's scored the goals he has through the middle,

06:33but I think if he went up a level,

06:35obviously the goals will come down inevitably

06:39because the players are quicker, stronger,

06:43you know, some of the, I mean,

06:45for all the low blocks you can have in the world

06:47in the Premiership, as soon as he's past you,

06:49then there is no catching him.

06:52And they are all just that wee bit more

06:54tactically switched on, faster, bigger.

06:57So I think he's probably more effective out wide.

07:01You probably want to play him in his natural position.

07:03But of course, if you can play up front as well,

07:06it can knock your chances at the stage of career he's at.

07:09With some players, it can be a hindrance

07:11because if you're somebody who can play right back,

07:14centre back, chuck a wee bit of CDM in there,

07:17you can maybe, you're not really a specialist

07:20in one position, you're kind of just seen as a,

07:24you're almost like an average world buffet.

07:26You're kind of good there, you're kind of good there,

07:29but, you know, I'd just go in Italian

07:31and get a proper Carbonara if I really wanted to.

07:34You don't want to find yourself in that position.

07:37I think he'd probably go and play it wide

07:40and the striker thing would be a need to break glass

07:44in case of emergency type thing.

07:46Well, it's going to make for an interesting summer.

07:49We know there's going to be wholesale changes at Rangers.

07:51It'll be interesting to see if Celtic do decide to cash in

07:54on a couple of their top assets, but time will tell.

07:57Thanks to my colleague Ben Banks

07:59for joining me on today's show

08:01and stay tuned for the next episode of Football Talk next week.

Brendan Rodgers raises Celtic squad 'expectations' concern | Fitbaw Talk

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