'I get paid to make the big decisions at Celtic,' says Brendan Rodgers. 'This game is an art... it's about your instinct, your experience'
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Brendan Rodgers insists the final say on Celtic team selection will always rest with him — and not his backroom staff. Ahead of Thursday’s Old Firm derby at Ibrox that could see his side move 17 points clear at the top, Rodgers credited the work done by his medical and sports science team but made clear the buck stops with him when it comes to the starting line-up.
![[Rodgers speaks to his Celtic squad on Tuesday ahead of the Old Firm derby at Ibrox]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/31/17/93623163-0-image-a-71_1735664444669.jpg)
His Rangers counterpart Philippe Clement has come in for criticism after choosing to rest several of his first-team regulars - including Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane - for Sunday’s draw with Motherwell following recommendations made by his support staff.
![[The Celtic squad, led my skipper Callum McGregor (right) were in good spirits in training]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/31/17/93623165-0-image-a-72_1735664449665.jpg)
Rodgers, though, felt it was a manager’s job to make those big decisions and that sometimes ‘feeling and emotion’ outweighed scientific reason when it came to deciding whether a player was ready to feature or not. ‘It’s like any sector of my club, whether it’s coaching, medicine, sports science or our welfare team,’ said the manager. ‘I’m always there to listen, but ultimately you make the judgment as a manager - that’s what you get paid for.
![[Rodgers says that despite the 14-point gap, the Old Firm derby is not a dead rubber]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/31/17/93623171-0-image-a-73_1735664455046.jpg)
'You get paid as a manager to listen to opinions, but ultimately the beauty of being a coach and a leader is that you decide. Manager Brendan Rodgers says that he gets paid to make the big decisions at Celtic. Rodgers speaks to his Celtic squad on Tuesday ahead of the Old Firm derby at Ibrox.
The Celtic squad, led my skipper Callum McGregor (right) were in good spirits in training. ‘I’ve got a brilliant sports science team here that will give me all the information I ever need if I want it, and like anything, I’m open to it - but I’m not driven by it.
