Brendan Rodgers slams Celtic fans for 'disrespectful' Kieran Tierney chant and 'getting onto the team'
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has hit out at his own supporters for getting on the team's back and chanting Kieran Tierney's name during the 3-0 home win over St Mirren.
A double from Nicolas Kuhn either side of a goal from Auston Trusty ensured Celtic got quickly back to winning ways after their 3-0 defeat by Rangers on Thursday as they extended their lead over their Old Firm rivals at the top of the William Hill Premiership to 13 points.
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Hide AdIt was a routine win for the defending champions, however, Rodgers was clearly angered by grumblings among the Celtic Park crowd while the match remained goalles prior to Kuhn's 33rd minute opener. He was also annoyed by the Tierney chant claiming it showed disrespect towards current Celtic left-back Greg Taylor, who disappeared straight up the tunnel at full-time.


Tierney is expected to complete a move back to Celtic from Arsenal in the January window while Taylor has entered the last six months of his contract after so far failing to agree a new deal.
Rodgers said: “A total lack of respect. Of course it is. Greg Taylor, he’s been absolutely amazing at this club. How does he feel?
“He nearly breaks his nose (today), bleeding for the club, for the cause. I’m more worried about the players that are here. It’s not very respectful to sing for another player, no matter what Kieran’s history is. I don’t like that.
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Hide Ad“I have a young player who’s given so much to this club over a number of years, consistently. His robustness, ability, what he’s done for the club. So, that needs to be respected. He might decide to go elsewhere.
“But at this moment in time, he’s here, he’s very much a Celtic player and we want to support that. Hopefully we can get to some agreement to let him stay.
“I hear the stuff around, oh, maybe Champions League. But I’ve had hundreds of Celtic players that haven’t been good enough in the Champions League.
“What I know is this is a man who gives everything for this club. Hopefully we can keep him here because we’re trying to build a strong squad. I put myself in his shoes playing left-back in the game and we are singing the name of someone else.”
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Rodgers did not hold back in his criticism of the crowd for their reaction to his players passing the ball backwards: "He said: “I have a big respect for this group of players, especially on a day like today, because when it was 0-0 for the first 20 minutes, we’d make a backward pass and the crowd would be on to the team.
“That cannot happen. One, if you know about football, and two, if you can understand that when teams come here, they’re going to make it really difficult. You can’t turn up every single week and be 3-0, 4-0 up in 20 minutes. Teams are well-organised, teams are well set-up, you have to work the game.
“So sometimes you have to play a backward pass to change the point of attack. We make a backward pass, and then they get on to the players, and that’s why I was proud of the players. I don’t need the cheers when it’s 3-0, and the support when it’s 3-0 or 4-0, or 5-0.
“You only need to look at the facts and how this team plays to know they’re an attacking team, a creative team that creates goals and scores goals. So when we decide to go back to change the point of attack, clap the players, don’t panic.
“And that was my annoyance today. We need the support when it’s 0-0. We want to attack. Look at our numbers, look at our stats. Trust the team. Trust the management.”
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