Brendan Rodgers hits back at Dortmund criticism as Celtic boss doubles down on Champions League tactics

Rodgers is no stranger to European hammerings at Celtic having presided over a 7-0 beating in Barcelona during his first spell in charge as well as a 7-1 reverse against Paris Saint-Germain and a 6-0 loss to Atletico Madrid.

While Celtic have blown the opposition away domestically so far this season, and also opened their Champions League campaign with a 5-1 rout over Slovan Bratislava, they were badly exposed by last season's beaten finalists in Germany.

Some fans and pundits have questioned whether the Northern Irishman should take a more pragmatic approach for the tougher assignments on the continent in an attempt to make Celtic more competitive and less prone to heavy defeats.

However, with a daunting trip to Italy up next to face Europa League winners Atalanta on October 23, Rodgers insists he has no intention of altering the way his team play as he shut down his critics.

"I'm not really bothered," he said during his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's return to domestic duties against Ross County in the William Hill Premiership. "That's my honest answer. You can't turn a tap on and off. If you analyse the game you'll see we were trying to press the game in the static position and then fall back into a shape but that wasn't to the level we wanted on the evening.

“But we play how we play. It's the same plaudits that are commending our performances over the last number of months that allows us to go into this game with this incredible amount of optimism that we can get a result out there. To just turn the tap back off and become super defensive is not how we play.

"So what do we do? Sit back, have 15 per cent of the ball and probably lose 3-0, 4-0? We've seen over six months teams that will come to us and sit back, play five at the back, 5-4-1 with no chance to attack. Or do you play how you play but know that the mistakes you've got to sharpen your teeth in, you've got to be brighter in and make quicker movements to close space. All those things are a learning process.

“I'd much rather do that and go down with my own vision than by someone who's saying and who has never coached the game in their life or played, or done whatever. I respect the opinion but I don't listen to it and never have."