Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers apologises to fans for ‘lack of desire and passion’ as the Bhoys lose back-to-back league games for the first time in a DECADE in 2-0 defeat to Hearts
- Kyogo Furuhashi was visually frustrated by his missed opportunity to put the hosts ahead
- Boss Rodgers has apologized for a 'lack of desire and passion' to win the match
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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has apologized to fans following their 2-0 defeat at home to Hearts.
The loss marked the first time in ten years that Celtic have suffered consecutive defeats in the league.
Former Leicester boss Rodgers attributed the poor performance to a 'lack of desire and passion' among his players and has apologized to the Bhoys' supporters.
Hearts secured their first league win at Celtic Park since 2007 with first-half goals from Lawrence Shankland and Stephen Kingsley.
The defeat has also given Celtic's title rivals Rangers the chance to move further up the table if they win their two games.
Celtic looked dejected at full-time after two league defeats
Furuhashi looked understandably frustrated after missing their biggest chance of the match
Celtic were also knocked out of the Champions League after failing to qualify for the round of 16
Hearts sit third in the SPFL table, with Celtic in first place, but rivals Rangers have two games in hand in which they can make a big step in the title race
Boss Rodgers highlighted the below-par performance that led to the end of the club's 52-match unbeaten league home run after a 2-0 defeat at home to Hearts on Saturday
Rodgers acknowledged the fans' disappointment and expressed his regret, saying: “I would like to apologize to the supporters – I don't think I've ever had to do that in regards to the performance, but today they deserve it.”
Rodgers admitted: “The result is up to me,” as he stressed the need for consistency and mental strength, especially when playing in front of a full house with the expectation of winning every game.
“It's mid-December and you get like 60,000 fans here and the lack of desire and passion was just really bad.
“It wasn't the whole team, Callum McGregor was brilliant and tried to drive the team on, and one or two others.
He highlighted the subpar performance that led to the end of the club's 52-game unbeaten league home run.
Despite individual efforts, including Callum McGregor's standout performance, Rodgers emphasized the need for a consistent mindset and a winning mentality.
Lawrence Shankland of Hearts celebrates at full-time after scoring to help secure three points
'It wasn't the whole team. Callum McGregor was brilliant and tried to drive the team along and one or two others.” Brendan Rodgers praised McGregor but said the other players 'lacked passion'
He took responsibility for the team's decline following their Champions League victory over Feyenoord in midweek, and reiterated the need for high standards and meeting fans' expectations.
Celtic recorded a 2-1 win over Feyenoord this week, with goals from Luis Palma and Gustaf Lagerbielke – the latter scoring a late winner in stoppage time.
Despite the win, the three points were not enough to prevent their European exit as they finished the group stage with just four points.