You can't drive a Honda Civic like a Ferrari

Brendan Rodgers spoke about finding Ferrari speed in a Honda Civic after Celtic suffered their first defeat away to Dundee in 37 years in Sunday's 2-0 William Hill Premiership match.

In their on-going protest against the Parkhead board – part of which was down to a perceived poor summer transfer window – travelling fans immediately disrupted the game by throwing dozens of balls on to the pitch.

When the delay ended, Dundee defender Clark Robertson headed in from a corner in the 17th minute before defender Cameron Carter-Vickers put through his own goal just before the break to confirm Celtic’s first loss at Dens Park since 1988.

Celtic lost Kyogo Furuhashi in January and Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn in the summer and Rodgers previously expressed dissatisfaction with the way the most recent transfer window transpired.

He said: "Listen, it’s not all linear and all smooth right the way through the season. That’s for sure.

"I think the challenge from the summer, now leading into here, where we lost a lot of firepower, a lot of goals out on the team.

"And there’s no way you’ll go into a race and be given the keys to a Honda Civic and say, 'I want you to drive it like a Ferrari’. It’s not going to happen.

"So until something changes, I have to find the solutions. Because like I said, goals, speed, everything has come out of the team and we need to find a way to be better.

"It was clear in the summer, but it’s really the past now. There’s nothing we can do about it.

"We had the opportunities to do what we needed to do. It didn’t happen, so now it’s finding ways, whether it’s 4-3-3, whether it’s 3-4-3, whether it’s 3-5-2. We’re trying to look at all these different permutations within the team."

The Hoops remain five points behind leaders Hearts – whom they play at Tynecastle next weekend – following the Europa League tie against Sturm Graz on Thursday.

Rodgers told his players that they need to stand up and be counted.

He added: "I just said that this is where you really have to be a man, because playing for Celtic is great from the outside when you look in and you’re winning trophies and playing great football – but you’ve got to deal with pressure.

"Also, the result and performance today wasn’t good enough. It’s not acceptable for Celtic.

"I’ve come here a number of times, a number of years and that today is not the level, so we have to find it."

Dundee boss Steven Pressley was delighted with the momentous result and the way his side bounced back from a 4-0 defeat to Aberdeen in their previous outing.

The former Celtic and Rangers defender said: "I’m exceptionally proud of the group of players. I think to beat Celtic on any given day, you have to carry a degree of luck.

"We also have to show a real resilience and a real determination in the way you play.

"You can talk all you want about the tactical elements, but the delivering of them is ultimately down to the players and I thought they were exceptional.

"I couldn’t be prouder because it’s been a difficult couple of weeks for us on the back of the Aberdeen game."

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