Brendan Rodgers has promised Celtic can still find another level after victory over Motherwell saw them continue their unbeaten start to the Premiership season.
Having seen Arne Engels’ penalty put his side on the board just before half-time, Rodgers was pleased to see an improved second-half display capped with goals from Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Reo Hatate.
But he said: ‘I think there is still more to come. If you compare the performance level to the early parts of the season, obviously, of course, you’re playing less (at that stage) and you’re maybe not as fatigued or whatever else. But we still demand — even in a really hectic schedule — the intensity that we want to play at.
‘It’s important that we continue to always look to up the level.
‘Against Dundee United (a 0-0 draw last weekend), we didn’t create as much in the final third. We arrived there but weren’t as ruthless or as clinical as we could be. But that was there today.
‘Motherwell were well organised, compact, tight, with lots of numbers behind the ball, so you’re having to really shift them about and then you get that little break before half-time.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was happy to bounce back from his side’s draw at Tannadice
Rodgers was delighted to see Arne Engels on the scoresheet after recent criticism
Motherwell keeper Aston Oxborough concedes a spot-kick for a foul on Hyun-jun Yang
‘In the second half, I felt we needed to get the tempo up that wee bit more and just keep that risk in the game.’
Rodgers was delighted Engels claimed a goal from the spot after recent criticism.
‘I’ve taken him out for some games just to let him see it from the outside looking in, and take that pressure away from him,’ he said. ‘I’m really pleased with Arne.’
Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell felt the decision to penalise Aston Oxborough for a challenge on Hyun-jun Yang at the penalty incident was harsh.
‘At the stage that Celtic scored, I didn’t feel that our goalkeeper had been overly worked,’ he said.
‘I’ve genuinely not analysed the replays of the penalty. At the time, my gut feeling was that it was soft in terms of how the Celtic player went down from what I felt was minimal to little, if any, contact.
‘I would need to see that again. I didn’t feel that there was much in it at all.
‘That goes against you, but that’s not the game done. We think about trying to galvanise ourselves and coming out stronger in the second half.’
