Brendan Rodgers hails Celtic players after Partick win

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers has praised the efforts of his players after their 2-0 triumph over Partick Thistle in the Scottish Premiership. The reigning champions suffered a shock 4-0 defeat at the hands of Hearts in the previous outing, and this saw their 69-match unbeaten run come to an end.

Speaking after the game, Rodgers was pleased with the response from his side after the hammering versus the Hearts. The former Liverpool boss also hailed the fitness levels of his side, who were playing their 36th competitive game of the campaign.

He said: "Collectively as a team we weren’t at our level against Hearts. But, most importantly, after disappointment you can learn and we’ve now come into the next two games and scored five goals while keeping clean sheets. I thought it was a very convincing win. The first half was a battle, which we expected, but I thought in the second half they were outstanding."

Celtic have secured the last six Scottish league crowns, and they look on course for a seventh title with Rangers still far off from competing with their Glasgow rivals. In addition to their title quest, they have European football to play for next year after having progressed to the Europa League.
The Scottish champions were third best in their Champions League group earlier in the campaign, and they still managed to progress to Europe's second competition after they beat Belgian side Anderlecht by virtue of a better head-to-head record.

Despite this, a number of Celtic players continue to be linked with potential moves elsewhere but Rodgers is confident that the team will stay together for the second half of the season, where they will be aiming to firm their grip on the league title, which they should win comfortably. Celtic host Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership this weekend.