Brendan Rodgers makes damning assessment of struggling Celtic

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has admitted his current Celtic side are nowhere near the team that won two Trebles.

The Hoops have kept five clean sheets in a row, but it is the attacking side of their game which has yet to click.

Rodgers’ men have scored just six goals in that time and three of those were against Europa League minnows Suduva – leaving them five points behind leaders Hearts ahead of Sunday’s Premiership clash at Kilmarnock.

Rodgers told the Scottish Sun: “I don’t think we’re anywhere near the level of our game.

“We haven’t been as dynamic as we have been in the last couple of years. It might be a season for us like that.”

Leigh Griffiths’ late header handed them a 1-0 Europa League win over Rosenborg on Thursday and Rodgers believes that was down to grit and determination rather than fluent attacking play.

“The win was probably down to spirit and persistence,” added Rodgers. “I said last week at St Mirren, even with 10 men, we were dominant.

“But it’s just that final third. It’s a mixture of confidence and not being dynamic enough at times. So that is allowing us not to be decisive enough in games.

“We are not conceding. That’s five games when we have not lost a goal. So you just have to be persistent and trust right to the very end that the goal will come.

“The goal on Thursday night was a demonstration of that. Good ball by Scott Brown, great leap by Dedryck Boyata and Griff does what he does, reads the ball, goes in and finishes.

“Being able to win and not give away much is important because that helps your confidence and you grow and grow from there.

“Right now it’s a bit of everything for us. We lost dynamic players. We have had lots of games. We just have to continue to work hard on the training field and win games when we are not at our best.

“The squad’s very honest, a brilliant bunch of boys to work with. We will always find a way and try to find a solution to perform well because performing, for me, is very, very important.

“We’re just missing something in the final third of the pitch.

“You see balls where they just need a bit of subtlety and a bit of softness for a pull-back. We’re rifling it across, and you have no chance to finish.”