Brendan Rodgers declares 'I'm no fantasist' as Celtic boss makes brutally honest transfer confession

Brendan Rodgers called for some common sense to be applied to Celtic ’s Champions League expectations.

The Parkhead boss got his Group E campaign off to a damaging start on Tuesday night as his side went down to a 2-0 defeat against Feyenoord, having had two of his new young recruits - Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm - sent off in a chaotic second half. Rodgers admits the club’s player trading model will inevitably require him to fast-track inexperienced players straight into the highest level of the European game.

And he insists that, while he’s throwing them into such a tough school, there has to be a sense of realism over his side’s results. Those two red cards signalled a loss of discipline in the heat of the moment and torpedoed any remaining hope Celtic had of snatching a point from Rotterdam. But, as he prepared to return to the more serene environment of domestic football at Livingston tomorrow, Rodgers insists Celtic’s struggles abroad are not just down to mentality alone.

He said: “It’s one of a number of things. It’s not just that. Quality helps!

“So it’s a trait you need in any team but it’s not going to take you to the next level. If you’re suffering in a game you need to dig deep, absolutely. But that’s something that comes with all good teams.

“We see that domestically too. But, with the greatest respect, you can’t compare the levels. For us, there’s never any relaxation. We have to be full on at Champions League level to do anything. That’s the reality and the logic.

“If you understand football at all - and the finances and economics of football - you’ll see that. I understand when you’re working for such a historic club with a great history what that can mean. But, logically, there has to be