Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers rates Falkirk higher than Rangers

There were many things for Celtic fans to take from the weekend's victory over Championship side, Falkirk, in the Scottish League Cup. It is the result that counts in the end, so a 5-2 win is definitely pleasing. It was also good to get a reminder of what a classy manager Brendan Rodgers is with his post-match communication.

The match came at a good time for Rodgers to rest a few players and give others a chance to show what they are capable of. Eight changes were made from the fine midweek 5-1 win against Slovan Bratislava.

That included a completely new back-four that had never played a match together. Rodgers gave Auston Trusty his first start for the club and Alex Valle made his debut in a Celtic shirt.

It wasn’t until the latter part of the match that Celtic took control. A highly impactful batch of substitutions at the hour mark led to Nicolas Kuhn stealing the show with two great goals and a couple of assists for Adam Idah. The German winger certainly has made an impressive start to the season and is a nailed-on starter now.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers rates Falkirk higher than Rangers

But as much as Celtic were sharp and decisive in that latter period, they were not as good as usual up to that point. Partly that seems down to the team changes. But it was also down to a great performance from Falkirk, who didn't at all look like a team making a step up in levels. They had earned their 2-1 lead at half-time.

Rodgers' changes made sure the job was done and secured Celtic's place in a Hampden Park semi-final against Aberdeen. His post-match messages were very clear too, especially those involving Falkirk. As reported by Football Scotland, he told Premier Sports:

"Got to give immense credit to Falkirk. I've really enjoyed watching and analysing them because in terms of a football idea, the game, what John's doing...they're probably the best team that we've played this season in terms of how they want to work the game, how they want to work the ball. So they can be really proud of how they done."

That will please the Falkirk boss and his team. It has also come to light that Rodgers had gone a step further in praising the opposition by making a visit to their dressing room to compliment them.

The win rounded off a great week for Celtic fans. A place in a semi-final is always good progress. The supporters will have enjoyed seeing their manager show his class in communications and his skill in making tactical and player changes.