UNREPENTANT: Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers insists he has no regrets over likening Parkhead squad to 'a Honda Civic' following shock Dundee defeat

Brendan Rodgers insists he has no regrets over likening the current Celtic side to a Honda Civic.

The Parkhead boss raised eyebrows after Sunday’s shock defeat to Dundee at Dens Park when he said that he felt like he'd been ‘given the keys to a Honda Civic’ and told ‘to drive it like a Ferrari’.

Former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill questioned the wisdom of Rodgers’ comments, which were taken as a jibe at the Parkhead board for a dismal transfer window, while others wondered if his words were undermining a team who are already struggling for confidence and have fallen five points behind Premiership leaders Hearts.

Asked ahead of Thursday’s Europa League game with Sturm Graz if he could understand why some might view his remarks as a criticism of his players, Rodgers said: ‘I don’t know because I haven’t seen or read or heard anything, but it was based around the speed in our team.

‘Clearly, it’s not the same as what we had last season. I’m pretty sure both of those cars (have) got a different speed, so that was the reference to that.

‘I’m not really worried, to be honest. You can’t please everyone and nobody’s trying to do that now. The players know that I’m with them, I’ve always been with them.

‘Our focus is now on performing, and performing to our best level.’

Pressed on whether he stood by the remarks, the Celtic manager was unrepentant.

‘Yeah, listen, it’s something that I said at the time and I said it because I felt it. So, I’ve got no regret, no.’

Rodgers has acknowledged that it’s incumbent on him to find solutions for Celtic’s flagging form.

While Alistair Johnston is in contention to feature at some stage against the Austrians, Daizen Maeda remains sidelined with stiffness in his back and hamstrings.

Having also lost players of the quality of Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn this year, the Northern Irishman admitted that he faces an impossible task to inject pace into the team.

‘It’s a different profile of player,’ he said. ‘If you think of what we had, football is going to look different.

‘Kyogo, and Daizen when he’s playing, and Nicolas Kuhn, it’s a different level of speed.

‘So, we don’t have that. The game will look different, but we can still be better and faster and more dynamic in our actions. That’s the challenge.’

Last Sunday’s game with Dundee was delayed when visiting fans threw tennis balls onto the park in protest at the way their club has been run, with the Celtic players helping remove them from the pitch before play could resume.

With further disruption planned for future matches, Rodgers has told his players that it’s imperative to focus on the job at hand.

‘I’m sure there’s studies throughout the world in terms of the impact, whether it’s positive or negative, of what this type of thing has on a team and a club,’ he said.

‘Of course, you’re going out fired up to start the game well and to get going, and of course there’s a disruption, but you have to deal with it and that’s something we have to be mindful of now.’