Brendan Rodgers outlined his impressive Old Firm credentials after Celtic handed Philippe Clement his first defeat as Rangers boss with a 2-1 win at Parkhead.

The Belgian was unbeaten in 16 games since taking over from Michael Beale in October, which offered encouragement travelling to the east end of Glasgow – albeit with no away fans in the stadium due to a ticket dispute between the two clubs.

Celtic had stumbled recently with defeats against Kilmarnock and Hearts but goals from midfielder Paulo Bernardo and striker Kyogo Furuhashi came before Rangers defender Leon Balogun was sent off for denying Daizen Maeda a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Gers skipper James Tavernier fired in a free-kick in the 88th minute to make it a nervy ending for the home side, who held on to move eight points clear having played two games more.

Rodgers has now won 12 and lost just one of his 15 Old Firm derbies, having faced five permanent Rangers managers – Clement, Beale, Steven Gerrard, Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha.

“Over my two spells here I have worked against five Rangers managers and every time Rangers were coming,” said Rodgers, who revealed defender Stephen Welsh injured a shoulder before he was taken off.

“So for me it’s normal. If I listened to media and press then we would be in constant crisis mode and constant fear of Rangers.

“But it’s the fifth manager now. So for me my focus is only on Celtic and concentrating very much on here and a lot of the stuff that maybe does go around, thankfully I ignore it.

“We showed today that with a team still missing key players, and players who will make the difference for us, that we are competitive and we can play football and we can compete. And that is what we will continually do.

“There is no doubt Philippe has improved Rangers. He’s come in, he has used his experience and common sense. He has set the team up well. They are competitive and they play as a team.

“We knew it was going to be a challenge for us. We had to take on the challenge and that is what I have always done when I’ve been here.”

Asked if he expect to be stronger after the winter break, the former Liverpool and Leicester boss said: “We will be. (Reo) Hatate is back involved today, in a different stage of the game we could have given him some game time.

“(Liel) Abada coming back makes a difference for us, he is a goalscorer. Other players will come back, Cameron Carter-Vickers will be ready after the break.

“And hopefully we can add to the squad. I would expect us to be better.”

On the game itself, Rodgers said: “It was as you expect from these games, very tense and an amazing atmosphere.

“I felt we deserved to win the game. We did well with (Rangers’) quite direct approach at times, trying to put pressure onto our back four.

“But they were coming into the game with confidence. I thought in the spells we had when we moved the ball around – which was difficult because the pitch is difficult, I have to say – I thought particularly after the second goal we were very, very good in the game without too many scares.”

Philippe Clement’s first Old Firm game ended in his first defeat as Rangers boss as goals from Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo Furuhashi gave Celtic a 2-1 win at Parkhead.

The Belgian had gone 16 games unbeaten since taking over from Michael Beale in October but with no away fans inside the ground due to an allocation dispute between the two clubs it was always going to be the acid test for the injury-hit visitors.

The Ibrox side started the game positively before Hoops midfielder Bernardo scored after 25 minutes, with the Gers missing at least a couple of good chances to level.

Celtic’s prolific striker Furuhashi curled in a second from 20 yards less than two minutes after the restart and there was more woe for the Light Blues in the 71st minute when defender Leon Balogun was shown a straight red card by referee Nick Walsh for denying Daizen Maeda a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Rangers hung on and skipper James Tavernier fired in a wonderful free-kick in the 88th minute but the comeback could not be completed in eight added minutes.

Brendan Rodgers’ side move eight points clear of their Glasgow neighbours at the top of the cinch Premiership and despite having played two games more, the victory could be the springboard to yet another title win.

It was wall-to-wall green and white inside the packed out 60,000-capacity stadium for the lunchtime kick-off and as expected, Hoops centre-back Stephen Welsh replaced the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers with fit-again duo Reo Hatate and Liel Abada back on the bench.

Defender Connor Goldson shrugged off a groin issue and John Lundstram returned to the midfield for Rangers, who gave as good as they got in the early stages.

But in the 12th minute, as the game began to ebb and flow, Bernardo headed a Luis Palma cross past the far post.

Rangers were getting behind the Celtic defence but could not capitalise, with Abdallah Sima’s wild drive over from the edge of the box after 20 minutes a prime example.

Bernardo drove just past the post from a similar distance but moments later, when Palma’s corner from the right ended up at his feet 16 yards out via the head of Sima, the on-loan Benfica player volleyed it powerfully past Gers keeper Jack Butland.

However, there was was huge let-off for the home side on the half-hour mark.

A slack pass from Parkhead full-back Alastair Johnson saw Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers dispossess Welsh to go through against keeper Joe Hart – but inexplicably he refused to shoot and allowed Johnston to get back with a recovery tackle.

Welsh had injured his shoulder in Dessers’ tackle and was immediately replaced by Maik Nawrocki, whose last game was in August.

Ross McCausland and Todd Cantwell both had efforts for the Govan side which should have brought a leveller, and then Clement was shown a yellow card.

There was a possible Rangers penalty for a Johnston handball which came to nothing after a VAR check, with an earlier offside against Sima cited.

The Light Blues would have considered themselves unfortunate to still be behind at the break but in the 47th minute Furuhashi took a pass just outside the box from Matt O’Riley and bent an unstoppable shot past the helpless Butland to totally change the complexion of the encounter.

Kieran Dowell replaced Cantwell and Scott Wright took over from Sima as Clement tried something new while David Turnbull came on for Bernardo just before Balogun was dismissed for taking Maeda down as he raced clear on goal, with centre-back John Souttar coming on for Lundstram in a reshuffle.

However, after a third Celtic goal did not arrive, Tavernier set up a nervy ending when he curled a trademark free-kick from 20 yards past the flailing Hart at his near post.

It was an anxious end to the game for the home fans as Rangers went all out for the leveller, but ultimately to no avail.

Philippe Clement admits the lack of Rangers supporters for his first Old Firm derby is “a pity for football”.

The Belgian, unbeaten in 16 games since arriving at Ibrox in October, is set for his first clash against the Light Blues’ arch rivals, but due to an ongoing dispute between the two Glasgow giants concerning away tickets when they meet each other, there will be no Gers supporters at Celtic Park on Saturday.

Clement is “curious” as to how his first game against the Hoops will pan out, even with no away fans in attendance although he admits that situation is disappointing.

“In our hearts they will be there,” said the Gers boss, who revealed defender Connor Goldson has trained, with the possibility of some others from his lengthy injury list also being available.

“It is a pity for football. It is always better to have two sides, it creates a certain atmosphere.

“It is a pity for football, but it is decisions made above my head, with knowing much more things than I know.

“I try to control the controllable, the things I can do, the things we need to do as a team, with my staff and players and the rest is not important. We are not focused on that, we are focused on the football.

“In the end it is always decided on the pitch between those four white lines and 11 against 11 – I hope.

“People can yell and shout whatever they like, but as long as they are not running on the pitch, it is OK with me.”

Goldson came off late against Motherwell at Fir Park on Christmas Eve with a groin injury while Rangers were already without Nico Raskin, Tom Lawrence, Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, Ben Davies, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe, Jose Cifuentes and Danilo with various injuries.

Asked about key centre-back Goldson, Clement, whose side are five points behind cinch Premiership leaders Celtic with two games in hand, said: “He trained so we will assess this afternoon and tomorrow. But he did train today.

“There was also a couple of others. I will make my decisions tomorrow. I can’t answer today because some trained and I don’t know if there will be a reaction.”

Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers will miss Saturday’s derby against Rangers but Liel Abada and Reo Hatate are likely to be on the bench following lengthy periods out.

Carter-Vickers went off during the Boxing Day win over Dundee with a tight hamstring and manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed the centre-back would not be available for the next two games.

Rodgers said: “It’s not longer term but you probably won’t see him until after the winter break.

“It is (a blow) of course but I always think it’s an opportunity for someone else. We had it in the last game (against Rangers) when Gustaf (Lagerbielke) and Liam Scales came into the team and for Liam it was the making of him.

“It’s always a sadness when you lose a top player but he will be back after this break and can hopefully stay clear of injury for the second half of the season.”

Rodgers has backed Stephen Welsh to fill the void after making a positive contribution in recent weeks following a lengthy spell out with an ankle injury.

“Stephen played against Feyenoord and played very, very well,” Rodgers said. “I really liked seeing him.

“I brought him with me as a young player when I was here first time round. He was only a kid then and he has really matured. He maybe hasn’t played as much as he would have liked but only because of the form of Cam and Carl Starfelt when he was here.

“That was the challenge for him but he has always been there as a loyal support to play and I know that I can trust him when I put him in.

“So if he is the guy that gets the chance to play then I have every faith that he can perform.”

Abada last featured in Celtic’s 1-0 Ibrox win on September 3 before suffering a thigh injury while training with Israel, and Hatate has been out for two months with a hamstring problem.

Rodgers said: “They have trained, Liel a little bit longer. We don’t want to rush them but if they come through then they will be involved in the squad.

“They are excited to be back. I am just mindful of the stage they are at but they have shown up well in training, they want to be involved, and hopefully they have come through with no ill-effects.

“They are both very good performers. Liel is a goalscorer who plays wide. His record goals to games is very good. He just wants to get back on the field again, it’s been a challenging few months for him with injury and everything else. But he looks really good in training and if I need him then I will be happy to do that. And Reo is a big talent so it will be great to have him back.”

There will be no visiting fans at Celtic Park but Rodgers is excited about the atmosphere ahead of his first home derby against Rangers since September 2018, when Olivier Ntcham got the only goal for the hosts.

“These are amazing games, it’s such an iconic game to be involved in,” he said. “We got a great result at Ibrox and now we are in front of our own supporters so we are really excited by it.

“It’s a fantastic game to be involved in, the atmosphere will be electric and that’s what I really can’t wait for. But it’s up to us to provide the intensity and urgency.

“There’s a real pressure about the game but I have always enjoyed seeing the team perform in that pressure.”

Rangers are unbeaten in 16 games under Philippe Clement and are five points behind the cinch Premiership leaders with two games in hand.

“Philippe has done very well since coming in,” Rodgers said. “He has come in with experience and common sense in terms of setting up the team. All the players together know their job and you can see they have benefited from that. They have good players.

“I am looking forward to the game because it should be a football game. The last few weeks we have played against back fives and teams sitting low in the field. This should hopefully be a really good football game.”

Brendan Rodgers is hopeful Cameron Carter-Vickers will brush off his Dens Park injury concern to face Rangers.

The Celtic manager also gave his strongest suggestion yet that Reo Hatate and Liel Abada could feature in Saturday’s derby.

The champions ensured they will go into the Parkhead clash on top of the cinch Premiership by beating Dundee 3-0 thanks to Paulo Bernardo’s first Celtic goal and substitute Mikey Johnston’s late double.

But the sight of Carter-Vickers walking off with the physio shortly after the 52nd-minute opener briefly curtailed the visiting fans’ celebrations.

The influential centre-back missed two-and-a-half games with a hamstring complaint earlier this month and Celtic fans will hope the latest issue does not lead to a similar outcome.

“He’s hopefully OK,” Rodgers said. “He felt a bit of tightness and we had said to him before that he didn’t need to be a hero. If he felt anything, just come off. We’re hoping he’s OK but we’ll find out in the next couple of days.”

Abada last played for Celtic in their victory at Ibrox on September 3 before suffering a thigh injury while training with Israel. Hatate has been out for two months with a hamstring injury.

“They could be around it,” Rodgers said. “It’s another thing being ready to start, of course. Liel looked really good on the field when he trained with the group (on Christmas Day).

“We kept him at home to do another session to build him up. We’ve missed his running, his goals. He’ll be brilliant for us for the second part of the season.

“Reo is at a good level but not a level to start. We’ll see how he goes over these next few days.

“He’s training hard, working well and it will be like having two new players when we get those two back.”

Celtic also saw Bernardo and Johnston give themselves a major morale boost. The on-loan Benfica midfielder poked home from close range before Johnston cut in from the left to fire his first Celtic goal since December 2019 and then added another following a one-two with Matt O’Riley.

Rodgers said: “For Paulo it was really, really good. He’s such a mature player for a young player.

“Mikey can make that impact. The challenge for Mikey was the fact that he had played a lot of games back to back, and he hasn’t done that much for Celtic.

“It can give him confidence. The beauty with Mikey is that he’s stayed fit. It’s up to him whether he’s going to be a Celtic player, but we keep working with him and we feel he can come into the game and make an impact.”

Celtic had 37 shots at goal and 23 corners but Dundee manager Tony Docherty felt his side had shown a good defensive structure in the first half.

“It was important that we kept that defensive structure but I just felt they had a couple of chances just before that making those trademark Celtic runs down the side, and they get their goal,” he said. “I thought it was really fortunate.

“But once they get that first goal, then you see Celtic and the quality they bring off the bench. They are a real quality team.”

Paulo Bernardo and Mikey Johnston were the unlikely goal heroes for Celtic at Dundee but Cameron Carter-Vickers was at the centre of an injury concern ahead of Saturday’s visit of Rangers to Parkhead.

Bernardo poked home the 52nd-minute opener at Dens Park to net his first goal for Celtic and substitute Johnston struck his first two goals for the Hoops since December 2019 to earn a comfortable 3-0 win at Dens Park.

But the sight of influential centre-back Carter-Vickers going off shortly after the opening goal dampened the Celtic fans’ Boxing Day celebrations.

Carter-Vickers immediately had words with manager Brendan Rodgers after the goal and the visiting supporters’ celebrations were almost silenced moments later when they saw the United States international walking off along with the physio.

Carter-Vickers missed two-and-a-half games with a hamstring issue earlier this month and Celtic fans will hope the move was purely precautionary.

It was Celtic’s seventh consecutive away game in the fixture immediately after Christmas Day and it produced a seventh win to ensure Celtic will go into the derby top of the cinch Premiership.

The champions lead by five points but Rangers have two games in hand including Wednesday’s Ibrox clash with Ross County.

Rodgers named the same team that started in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Livingston, while Dundee had Cammy Kerr in for the absent Ricki Lamie and Zak Rudden returned as one of two strikers.

Celtic quickly took control without carving Dundee open. Kyogo Furuhashi headed safely into Trevor Carson’s hands and Luis Palma fired over from a decent chance but Dundee also had their moments going forward.

Lyall Cameron fired a ball across the face of goal after great footwork and Rudden’s looping header was saved by Joe Hart.

Celtic began to create better chances after the first quarter. Liam Scales headed just wide from Palma’s corner and Matt O’Riley created a chance for himself but shot straight at Carson.

For all Celtic’s possession, it was a loose ball from a Dundee throw-in that led to the visitors’ best chance of the half. O’Riley played the ball forward and Furuhashi was clean through. The Japan striker dinked the ball over Carson with his right foot but the ball drifted just wide.

O’Riley and Bernardo were then off target from half-chances and Callum McGregor saw a shot blocked before setting up Palma for a free header that the Honduran sent wide.

The domination continued after the break as Furuhashi sent a weak shot wide and Bernardo headed over before making the breakthrough.

Dundee were on the back foot after Rudden was flagged offside and Palma threaded the ball through for Bernardo’s run. The on-loan Benfica midfielder stretched to get a toe on the ball and it bobbled through Carson’s legs.

Stephen Welsh replaced Carter-Vickers but it was Johnston who grabbed the headlines.

The winger cut in from the left in the 83rd minute and fired a 22-yard strike which Carson could only help into the net.

Carson saved from Oh and Benardo before Johnston played a one-two with O’Riley and drilled into the bottom corner from 16 yards in stoppage-time.

The Republic of Ireland international was not far away from his hat-trick when he curled wide in the closing seconds.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers praised Kyogo Furuhashi for his persistence as the Japan striker ended a seven-game goal drought to send the champions on their way to a 2-0 win over Livingston.

Furuhashi got on the end of Luis Palma’s curling effort to net the opener from close range 25 seconds into the second half, before defender Liam Scales headed home the Honduran winger’s corner five minutes later.

It was the 28-year-old striker’s 10th goal of the campaign but only the second in 13 matches for a player who struck 34 times last season.

Rodgers, whose team went five points clear in the cinch Premiership, said: “I think he’s three goals short of where he was last season but for me it’s more important for the team.

“But attacking players, their job is to create and score. You could see relief on his face.

“He read it well and it was nice for him to get the goal because he had other chances which didn’t quite drop but from the team point of view it’s what we needed.

“I think it’s one where there’s probably been frustration when he maybe hasn’t had the ball through or runs behind to allow him to highlight his clever movement. But he’s kept going and persisting. He’s got this shoulder issue but he’s kept working and that’s important.

“Any striker wants to get goals but it’s not just about the striker. A striker can can get 40 goals but it’s no good if other members aren’t contributing.

“It was nice to get goal for him and nice to get one from a set-piece. We had more chance to work on that and we need to be much better in that area but we looked a threat.”

The Green Brigade fans group were back inside Celtic Park after a recent ban and the atmosphere was back to normal as well as the team’s display after they suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time in a decade.

Rodgers said: “It’s been a tough week on the back of two results. Naturally it’s not been what you want but the players were excellent. From the first whistle the tempo was really good.”

Livingston manager David Martindale bemoaned his side’s start to the second half after his side defended brilliantly in the first half.

“The way we started is criminal, terrible,” he said. “The first goal is shocking from our point of view. I’m not saying it’s good movement, it’s basics. Centre-half has got him, Kyogo just walks off him and stick the ball in the net after letting Palma come inside.

“Big Luiyi (de Lucas) has to do better. The movement wasn’t great but I think I could defend it. It was naivety and ability. They’re at Celtic for a reason. Big Luiyi is at Livingston for a reason.”

Martindale lost Tom Parkes to a head injury late in the first half after the defender had produced three-goal saving interventions before getting in the way of a powerful Cameron Carter-Vickers strike.

The Livi manager said: “He was in a bad way when he came off but he’s better now. If Parksey was there that first goal doesn’t happen.”

Kyogo Furuhashi hit his first goal in eight games to send Celtic back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Livingston.

The Japan striker opened the scoring from close range 25 seconds into the second half and Liam Scales soon headed his first goal of the season.

Celtic were comfortable but not spectacular as they restored their five-point lead over Rangers in the cinch Premiership, at least until their rivals play one of two games in hand, at Motherwell on Christmas Eve.

Bottom club Livingston did not register a single effort at goal – although goalkeeper Jack Hamilton sent a kick-out not that far wide of Joe Hart’s goal and behind for a Celtic goal-kick.

The game saw normal service resumed at Celtic Park in more ways than one.

Celtic bounced back from losing consecutive league games for the first time in a decade and losing their first domestic home match in almost three years.

And the Green Brigade were back inside the stadium after about 300 members had their season tickets suspended for six matches as well as being denied tickets for seven away games.

The fans group used a banner to thank fellow ultras group ‘The Bhoys’ for staying away in solidarity and declared “football without fans is nothing” after they reached an agreement with the club weeks after being banned over a series of issues. The gesture led to a standing ovation from several thousand fans in the opposite corner of the ground.

The Green Brigade showed they had not lost their political edge by displaying banners referring to the ongoing situation in Gaza.

With the atmosphere levels multiplied on recent weeks, Celtic started with the tempo and conviction that was lacking in last weekend’s defeat by Hearts and created several early chances.

James Penrice cleared off the line from Furuhashi, Jack Pittman blocked from Paulo Bernardo after Hamilton had spilled Luis Palma’s free-kick, and Tom Parkes produced three goal-saving interventions to deny Daizen Maeda.

Livi lost Parkes to a head injury in the 42nd minute after he got in the way of a fierce shot but substitute Michael Nottingham immediately stepped into his shoes by blocking Maeda’s effort.

The visitors briefly improved as an attacking force late in the first half without threatening Hart as Celtic’s performance dipped but the game was won inside six minutes of the restart.

Palma was the creator each time, first cutting inside from the left touchline and curling a shot towards the far post which Furuhashi helped into the net.

The Honduran winger then delivered one of his near-post corners on to the head of Scales, who guided the ball into the far corner.

The floodgates threatened to open but Livingston maintained their shape and discipline to limit the damage. Maeda headed wide and Hamilton saved well from headers from Cameron Carter-Vickers and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers declared unity was paramount as he welcomed the return of the Green Brigade.

The fan group will be back in Celtic Park for Saturday’s visit of Livingston after a ban was lifted.

About 300 fans had their season tickets suspended for six matches and were denied tickets for away games, while other vocal supporters appeared to stay away in solidarity.

Rodgers said: “Celtic’s history is littered with late goals and a big part of that is down to the fans and the whole stadium really getting behind the team. That’s what makes Celtic.

“When you have the manager, the supporters and the players all on the same page, then it’s a real force.

“It hasn’t been the atmosphere for a number of weeks but that’s the responsibility of everyone.

“But we know when the atmosphere is white hot at Celtic it makes it a really, really difficult place for teams to come and play and also it gives the players that extra edge as well.

“For the guys to be back in, there is no doubt they have given an ambience in that corner section. The club gave them that opportunity to be the first club in Britain to have that safe standing area.

“Hopefully they can go back in and support the team and their responsibility as well as the whole stadium to really get behind the team to help us get the result.”

Fans of Motherwell, Hibernian, Feyenoord and Hearts have been more vocal than the home support in recent weeks outside of very sporadic bursts of noise.

Celtic drew with the Steelmen and then lost their first domestic home game in almost three years against Hearts last weekend.

When asked if the Green Brigade’s absence had contributed to those below-par performances, Rodgers said: “I don’t know if it’s specifically them. We have still had 60,000 in there. The responsibility is for everyone.

“Firstly I always look at the team and what we can do as a team to provide the football that can excite the supporters because that’s what we always aim to do.

“But of course Celtic is based around that collect spirit in the stands that really drives the team forward.

“But either way, I just think it’s really good news. There’s no point looking at the past.

“Great news for them that they can get in and watch their team because they want to support the team and the club. They are better being inside and cheering us on and hopefully that brings us all together and we can now look forward for the rest of the season.”

The loudest noise against Hearts came when fans chanted “sack the board” amid frustration over the club’s summer transfer activity.

When asked about the importance of unity, Rodgers said: “It is paramount for any successful club, especially a top club where the intensity is so high. And what makes a top club is when everyone is together and that spirit, that collective fight, everyone pushing forward.”

Celtic cited an “increasingly serious escalation in unacceptable behaviours” for their initial decision, which the fans declared “evidently unfair” but an agreement was reached following talks.

A spokesperson for Celtic said: “Following consultation with the group, the club has now implemented an updated rail seating safety code of conduct which has been accepted by the group, allowing for a return to a situation where rules and regulations around operating safely are respected and complied with.”

Liel Abada will not feature against Livi and his chances of returning from a thigh injury in time to face Rangers on December 30 appear slim.

“He is out on the grass running with the medical team,” Rodgers said. “It’s not imminent but he is certainly in a really, really good place and hopefully some time in the near future he will be able to be back in with the squad.”

Celtic defender Liam Scales admits it hurt to hear manager Brendan Rodgers claim he was unsurprised by their poor performance in defeat by Hearts.

The Irishman believes he and his team-mates will be stung into action by Rodgers’ assessment when they host Livingston on Saturday.

It was a first domestic defeat at Celtic Park for almost three years but a second consecutive loss in the cinch Premiership – the first time the champions have lost back-to-back league games in more than a decade.

Celtic had already drawn at home to St Johnstone and Motherwell this season and Rodgers had revealed he was the angriest he had ever been as a manager when his side trailed in Perth weeks earlier.

Scales was among a small group of players Rodgers absolved of blame following Celtic’s 2-0 defeat by Hearts but he believes the assessment will spark them out of complacency.

Scales said: “I can see where he’s coming from. It’s not nice to hear but obviously performances haven’t been where they should probably be. He makes a good point.

“It does hurt as a player to hear that. We need to change that and not let that be the case again.

“We feel like sometimes we expect it to just happen. Just playing at home or against teams in the league, just expecting it to happen without going out and taking it by the horns and being aggressive and going and winning.

“We can’t just show up and that’s maybe where we need to brush up.”

Defeats by Kilmarnock and Hearts have seen Celtic’s lead at the top of the table cut to two points.

Rangers have a game in hand and are unbeaten in 15 matches under Philippe Clement with the Viaplay Cup also back at Ibrox for the first time in 13 seasons.

Celtic fans are concerned about their team’s form, especially with a game against Rangers to come on December 30 before Rodgers has the chance to strengthen his squad.

However, Scales is confident they will get back to their best quickly.

“It’s been a tough week getting to grips with it,” said the Republic of Ireland international as the club announced the Celtic FC Foundation’s Christmas Appeal had raised £397,000 for charities in Scotland and Ireland.

“We’re getting over it and we know we need to bounce back. We are working hard to do that. We’ve had a week to prepare which is unusual with the schedule we have. We’ve been using the week well to go over things and fine-tune things for the upcoming games.

“We know it’s not good enough for Celtic. The pressure is there and you know you need to win games and anything but a win isn’t good enough. Over the course of a season it’s not disastrous, if we bounce back and do well it should be fine. But it’s been a tough week and we just need to fix it now.

“It’s in our hands to turn it around. It’s a minor blip in the course of the season and we need to turn the corner and get over it. It’s not a complete disaster.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will focus on finding answers from within during a crucial run of games after fans turned on the board during a 2-0 defeat by Hearts.

The home support did not take their first domestic defeat at Celtic Park since January 2021 well with cries of “sack the board” ringing out across Celtic Park after supporters in the main stand vented their frustration towards directors.

Celtic did not really look like mounting a comeback after Lawrence Shankland’s header and Stephen Kingsley’s free-kick put Hearts two ahead inside half an hour.

Only one of the club’s eight summer signings featured in the game and skipper Callum McGregor later stressed that Celtic need to sign quality players in January.

The likes of Josip Juranovic, Giorgios Giakoumakis, Jota, Aaron Mooy and Carl Starfelt have left over the past 12 months and the only new arrivals to establish themselves have been Alistair Johnston and Luis Palma.

Celtic have a serious title challenge on their hands with Rangers now five points behind with two games in hand in the cinch Premiership.

When asked about the chants against the board, many of which were directed towards chairman Peter Lawwell, Rodgers said: “That result is on myself and the players.

“We’re there, on the pitch, we have to be so much better than that. We have to focus on that. You can blame whoever you want but the reality is that that’s us on the field.

“And it’s nowhere near good enough for a Celtic team. I’ve been here long enough, I know the climate here, the expectations. Standing watching it, it’s not the level of a Celtic team or anywhere near it.”

Celtic face Livingston and Dundee before hosting Rangers on December 30 and Rodgers will focus on getting back on track after dropping eight points in five matches.

“Listen, there is still a hell of a long way to go and I know December is normally a grind up here, you are playing every three days,” Rodgers said.

“But that’s the expectation, that’s where we’re at. We have to find that strength, we need to analyse where it’s at and what we can be much better at.

“But for me it’s quite an easy reflection – you have to have greater desire and mentality. If you do that, you have a much better chance to succeed. That’s something I as a manager have to look to fix.”

Hearts bounced back from a 2-1 defeat by Aberdeen which left manager Steven Naismith accusing his players of being “bullied” in the second half. Their response was a first league win at Celtic Park since 2007.

Naismith said: “I think we are moving in the right direction as a squad.

“When you come into Hearts there is a demand there and a need to have success. But like anything it doesn’t happen overnight. You need to come through tough times and last week was a tough time, Monday morning’s meeting was tough.

“But what I like about this group is they have accepted it, they worked hard in training and they show you they have got that quality.

“They want to be as good as they can be individually but as a team they want to be successful.”

Brendan Rodgers felt compelled to apologise to the Celtic fans for the first time after a performance as he admitted his side lacked desire in a 2-0 home defeat by Hearts.

A free header from Lawrence Shankland and Stephen Kingsley’s 25-yard free-kick put Hearts two ahead inside 30 minutes and there was little sign of a Celtic comeback as they fell to consecutive league defeats for the first time in a decade.

“Our desire and the mentality right from the off was nowhere near the level of a Celtic team,” Rodgers said. “Very passive, and lacked fluidity.

“The game started a little bit slow, but our ability to keep the ball in the final third and create wasn’t quite there.

“Then, we got outdone very naively from a corner. The second goal was a fantastic free-kick, but, when you look at the build-up and what led to the free-kick, it was so passive it was frightening.

“It is a real, real sore one. For the first time I have been here, over my two periods, I would have to apologise to the supporters – because that level is nowhere near the standard of performances required at Celtic. Nowhere near it.

“That lack of consistency and mentality and desire, it is way, way off what this club demands. You’re sat there in mid-December with 60,000 in and that’s how you perform. It is not acceptable.”

Only two weeks ago Rodgers claimed he had never been angrier as a manager following a similar first-half performance against St Johnstone. They fought back to win in Perth but have now lost to Kilmarnock and Hearts and potentially lost their advantage in the title race – Rangers are five points behind but have two games in hand.

The Celtic manager absolved the “brilliant” Callum McGregor from blame along with Liam Scales and Matt O’Riley and added: “I can’t say I am surprised. I have seen performance level (dip) and (am) having to activate. When you are having to do that all the time then that is a worry.

“You can’t keep having to go into expletives, you need to find the solution and the ambition as a player to come into these games after a midweek game, after a good performance in the Champions League, you need to come into the game and produce the level.

“It always starts for me against the ball and when it’s so passive and you are not aggressive enough, that for me is always your desire and how much you want to win the game.

“Sadly for us that then goes on to the side when you have the ball and it just wasn’t good enough.”

Hearts ended a 14-game losing run at Celtic Park and secured their first win at the stadium since 2009.

Manager Steven Naismith felt his side’s composure was the key factor.

“The biggest aspect is when you win the ball,” he said. “You need to cause them problems, and I think we did that. Our composure on the ball leads to us getting the corner, it leads to us getting the free-kick that get us the goals.

“That’s not just luck for Shanks at the back post, it’s having a calmness in these big moments.

“Or whether it’s our defenders deciding they can see pass and they make the pass.

“I don’t think there’s a better team in Scotland that press than Celtic, they are really aggressive, they are really tough.

“And we played through it at times, we were good enough to do it, and that’s massively important when you are playing against the Old Firm.”

Celtic fans turned their wrath on the board as Hearts’ 2-0 win at Parkhead consigned the Hoops to back-to-back league defeats for the first time in a decade.

First-half goals from Lawrence Shankland and Stephen Kingsley earned Hearts their first league win at Celtic Park since 2007.

Shankland’s free header and Kingsley’s 25-yard free-kick saw Hearts end a 14-match losing run at Celtic Park and secure their first win at Parkhead in 25 games, since Michael Stewart’s penalty earned a League Cup win in 2009.

Celtic’s defeat, on the back of last weekend’s loss at Kilmarnock, leaves them five points ahead of Rangers in the cinch Premiership but their Glasgow rivals have two games in hand. It was March 2013 when they last lost consecutive league games, against Motherwell and Ross County.

With the Green Brigade ultras group still banned, the atmosphere among the home fans was again flat but it turned angry for a spell late in the second half as Celtic toiled.

One fan in the main stand sparked wider dissent when he shouted towards the Celtic directors, leading to chants of “sack the board” from around the stadium and more personal songs aimed at chairman Peter Lawwell.

The club’s summer recruitment again came into question with only one of their eight summer signings among the 16 players to feature.

Hearts won comfortably in the end to give manager Steven Naismith a positive end to a week in which his results and style of play came under criticism at the club’s annual general meeting. The Gorgie side moved up to third after scoring more than once in the league for only the third game this season.

The home side threatened first when Greg Taylor saw a powerful first-time strike from 25 yards pushed over but Hearts were ahead in the 15th minute.

Jorge Grant’s deep corner found Shankland completely unmarked and the Scotland striker bulleted a header into the roof of the net to net his 13th goal for Hearts this season.

Celtic pressed without testing Zander Clark and Hearts doubled their lead in the 30th minute after Cameron Carter-Vickers was penalised for a challenge on Nathaniel Atkinson. Kingsley again showed his dead-ball prowess as he curled the ball over the wall and into the corner of the net.

Celtic showed some urgency in response. David Turnbull’s left-footed strike forced a good save from Clark and Kyogo Furuhashi set up Luis Palma for what looked a certain goal until Kingsley threw himself at the shot to block.

Hearts continued to ask questions of their hosts, mostly from corners, and Rodgers made three changes at the start of the second half.

Anthony Ralston replaced Alistair Johnston, striker Oh Hyeon-gyu came on for midfielder Turnbull and Daizen Maeda made his comeback from a knee injury to replace Mikey Johnston.

The latter had been on the end of much of the Celtic support’s frustration as he struggled to make an impact, although Joe Hart twice incurred wrath for punching crosses he could have caught.

Hearts were forced into one switch as Toby Sibbick replaced the injured Kingsley.

Celtic had a couple of half chances as Frankie Kent put in a brilliant challenge on Oh and Furuhashi shot over, but there was little sign of a comeback.

Left-back Alexandro Bernabei came on for winger Palma for only his fourth appearance of the season and the Argentinian soon put in two poor crosses before James Forrest’s 71st-minute introduction for Taylor saw him revert to his normal position.

That was the final throw of the dice from Rodgers and Oh missed a decent chance to spark some life into the game when he was well wide from Forrest’s cutback.

Celtic assistant manager John Kennedy has reminded the players to focus on performances and ignore the pressure over points.

The cinch Premiership champions were briefly 10 points ahead of Rangers but that was cut to five points, with the Light Blues still holding a game in hand, following last weekend’s defeat by Kilmarnock.

Kennedy feels Celtic are far better served focusing on their game ahead of Saturday’s visit of Hearts rather than obsessing over capitalising on Rangers’ Viaplay Cup final commitments.

Kennedy said: “The thing for us is just to concentrate on performances, not get drawn into ‘you must win every game’ and the pressure.

“We don’t want to get too caught up in ‘what is the gap now?’ and ‘we need the points’.

“We need to concentrate on what makes us a good side because when we come away from that and we start thinking too much, that’s when things slow down, that’s when you start second-guessing yourself.

“So for us it’s full committal to the way we play. We know if we do that properly, more often than not that brings the points, which obviously gives you the lead we are sitting with now.”

The Celtic coaching staff have reinforced the key principles of their game in the wake of their 2-1 defeat at Rugby Park.

“It’s the same process as when you win a game,” Kennedy said. “There’s maybe the added pressure if someone is listening to what’s going on in the press, the media or fans and everything else.

“But ultimately when we get them in this building we can control the message, which is very much about ‘this is what we did well’ and ‘this is what we certainly didn’t do well’.

“Second half last week, we have addressed that. That’s an example of Kilmarnock putting a bit more pressure on us and coming totally away from the way we play. We end up in a game where the ball spent more time in the air than it did on the ground, and that’s not how we play.

“We lost control of the game because we came away from how we play, and Kilmarnock had a bit of pressure, but we know we can still handle that.

“We showed them examples of Atletico Madrid pressing us at Celtic Park and playing through it no problem, there were examples the other night, a very good side pressing, you play through that and created chances.

“It’s all in the mind in terms of that respect, and the players have embraced that and taken it on board.

“Hopefully, going forward, we can be really strong in how we play and our convictions in that.”

Celtic have since bounced back with a Champions League win over Feyenoord and have the added bonus of Daizen Maeda and Cameron Carter-Vickers returning from injury. Maeda has been out for six weeks with a knee problem and his absence has been felt.

“We want to be as fast and keep the intensity of the game as much as we can, and Daizen triggers a lot of that for us,” Kennedy said. “He shuts down the times teams get to set up attacks, even if a team want to play direct, he can get to the ball without them being able to play accurate long balls.

“But on the flip side, he attacks the back line and penetrates any sort of space the opposition leave.

“So having speed in our team is really important and when he’s not there you recognise that, you sometimes lack in certain areas of the game.

“It’s good to have him back. To be fair, he’s an absolute machine. He wanted to be involved before now but we had to put the reins on him a touch because he still had a bit of an injury there.”

Celtic completed the signing of Roy Keane on a free transfer on this day in 2005.

A month earlier, Keane had abruptly left Manchester United by mutual consent after his relationship with manager Sir Alex Ferguson deteriorated during a spell on the sidelines through injury.

Keane had been hurt in a challenge with Liverpool’s Luis Garcia in September of that year and grew frustrated while out.

He had already clashed with Ferguson during the club’s pre-season training camp in Portugal, and then angered the manager with an MUTV interview in which he said he was open to finishing his career elsewhere as his contract ran down.

A further MUTV appearance in early November did even more damage as the United skipper gave a damning assessment of some of his team-mates’ performances in a 4-1 defeat to Middlesbrough.

In 12 full seasons with United, Keane had won seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League, but Ferguson was his usual ruthless self and, as tensions mounted, he cut ties as Keane’s contract was cancelled.

Gordon Strachan’s Celtic pounced as Keane joined the club he had supported as a boy – the midfielder signing an 18-month deal.

He would have to wait until January to make his debut, but it came in a shock 2-1 defeat to First Division Clyde in the Scottish Cup.

A month later, Keane scored in a Scottish Premier League win over Falkirk, which proved to be his only goal for the club.

After helping Celtic to win both the league title and Scottish League Cup, Keane retired that summer on medical advice.

The announcement came a month after he had returned to Old Trafford for his United testimonial, a friendly against Celtic in which Keane played 45 minutes for each side.