Brendan Rodgers warns Celtic players that if they don’t exhibit bravery, they will be given the door, with one star singled out for praise.

The Irishman feels his Celtic squad is coming together nicely but he has placed a big demand on the side

Bit by bit, game by game, Brendan Rodgers is getting closer to where he wants Celtic to be.

The Parkhead boss concedes his reintroduction to the role has not been just as smooth as he might have wished. Or as many may have expected when he made his second coming. But Saturday’s immaculately engineered 10-man win away to Livingston was further proof Rodgers and his players are forging the kind of bonds which will stand the champions in good stead as they move forward together.

‘Only the strong will survive’, was how he put it on Thursday as he reflected on his first few months back in charge at Lennoxtown and the working environment he is trying to re-establish at the club’s HQ. It’s not all been plain sailing. Defeat at Kilmarnock meant Celtic were stuck at base camp this week when Rangers, Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen were making it into the semi finals of the Viaplay Cup. A 0-0 draw with St Johnstone has left an unwanted blemish on their title defence and Rodgers is still licking his wounds following a Champions League mauling at Feyenoord. But, bit by bit, he is convinced his team is coming together.

“In terms of navigating through the games it’s all part of the challenge early on,” mulled Rodgers when asked to assess the progress that has been made so far under his watch. “What I do – what I demand – is that players play to the style we want. That they show a willingness to learn and they’re mentally going to be able to challenge themselves to be better. Those players that can deal with that will thrive in the environment. Those who find it hard or don’t have the bravery will leave – and it’s as simple as that.”

If such candor surprises any of the new recruits brought in over the summer, Rodgers is unconcerned. After all, he’s not constructing a creche. “The team has taken a big mental step forward,” he continued. At the start of every good squad, you’re looking for intensity, determination, and spirit. That is always the start of a good team. And you’re starting to notice it now.

“During the summer, the players worked on their fitness, and then a new manager arrived.” With Ange gone, there was certainly a glimmer of hope for how things would turn out. There was most likely some insecurity. Possibly a little

‘Am I going to be here, or am I not?’ Players can also overthink things. It’s just a matter of needing a break from time to time. After the draw with St Johnstone, I predicted that this would be the game that would bring everything together.

“From that we really have moved on. We had some nice little bits in the other games and we were still winning. But where we are now compared to the Kilmarnock game, from a football point of view, tells me we are getting there.”

And Rodgers will not be rushed into making changes for change’s sake. New boy Marco Tilio is back to fitness after a run out in the B team last weekend, while two more recently recruited wingers – Yang Hyun-Jun and Luis Palma – were benched at Livingston on Saturday, to make way for the tried and trusted veteran James Forrest.

Rodgers sees no need to make reckless gambles while his side’s development is at such a delicate stage. He said: “Tilio has been out a long time. He’s come back into training and he’s finding the intensity a lot different to what he’s used to. So there’s an adaptation period. But, for me, there seems to be a rush to play these players, when I don’t see what the rush is.

“You know, the players have come in, especially when they are young players, I don’t need them ready tomorrow. The young players that have come in are development players. I look at Odin Thiago Holm and he’ll be a fantastic player for Celtic. It’s just a question of timing and having a bit of patience with them. I’ve played young players before. I played 17-year-olds – I had Raheem Sterling in my team – so I tend to have an idea of when to put them in.

“But they have to be showing it in training in order to get that opportunity. So Marco is just adapting to the intensity of everything. It’s a massive move for him so, for him, it’s just about timing and obviously showing it on the training field.”

Which is why Forrest unexpectedly returned to Celtic’s starting XI at the weekend, even if his comeback was cut short by Joe Hart’s red card. Rodgers nodded: “Yes, 100 per cent – nothing more than that. For some players, when I was here before, they were spooked by the astro. They’ve gone out, for some reason they’ve realised it was astro and then they couldn’t play!

“Then I’m going to have to change my lineup 45 minutes before the game.” So I don’t have to do it. I chose a team of guys that are familiar with the environment. It was unfortunate that he had to leave so soon, but Jamesy knows what I think of him. As I have stated, I know I can rely on him in specific scenarios whenever I put him in.”

Forrest may not have to wait long for another appearance, with the boss already planning a lunchtime trip to high-flying Motherwell for tomorrow. Rodgers has been around the block enough to know that any further blunders will harm the same spirit he is attempting to cultivate. Nonetheless, he admits that his team’s three dismal early-season results have helped to separate the wheat from the chaff.

“You want to win, and it hurts when you don’t,” he continued. Only the strongest will survive and be ready to go when the pain subsides. That is crucial for a manager. You can see how well the team responded during the weekend. This is a pretty honest group, and I have no reservations about that.

“They require training, employment, support, and guidance, and they will receive it.” It is how you respond to defeats that allows you to continue fighting. If you don’t, you’ll sink. But after Feyenoord, I was really proud of them because that’s a game that can really go away from you. This team will not fall apart. The spirit has not been broken. We can see that when we go into a tough game at Livingston and play with the control I prefer.”