Brendan Rodgers confessed bitter disappointment at the negativity which led to Celtic‘s Rugby Park collapse.

The deflated manager admitted his team deserted their style and didn’t defend well enough as they crashed to defeat at Kilmarnock. Leading at the interval through Matt O’Riley’s ninth goal of the season, the champions were on course to re-establish their eight-point advantage at the top of the table. Instead, they folded in Ayrshire and went away with nothing.

Rodgers was left to rue the fact his team stopped playing their way when they had the ball and subsequently didn’t do well enough to cope with Killie’s attacks when they didn’t. He said: “The players know themselves. We spoke after the game about this isn’t how we want to do it. In the second-half, we played their game instead of playing our game.

Brendan Rodgers reflects on red card receipt from Champions League hammering

“I thought in the first-half we were very good. We played at a good speed and created opportunities.

“We could have maybe been more than 1-0 up by half-time, but in the second-half we never got started. You expect a wee bit of pressure for 10 or 15 minutes, which we weathered at set pieces and corners.

“But we never passed the ball. We were under a bit more pressure, sure, but you have to be resistant.

“We weren’t able to make passes to take us up the pitch and that was the biggest disappointment of the second-half. We couldn’t sustain any attacking threat in the game. We had one chance when Matt ran through, but little simple things we were winning in the first-half, we weren’t in the second half.

“When you play Kilmarnock, it’s quite a direct game, so you have to be able to win the first, second and third balls. We didn’t do that. When we showed our level in the first-half we were very good, but we were disappointing in the second-half.

“It was how we wanted the game to look in the first-half. But in key moments and decisive moments we didn’t defend well enough. At corners and set pieces, in the main we dealt with them.

“But there were other moments in the game where we had to be stronger defensively. If you play a team that’s pressing and right up against you there you’ve got to pass the ball forward. Because that foreword pass eliminates pressure. And we weren’t able, for some reason, to do that.”

Rodgers continued: “At the moment, it’s just about finding that consistency for the 90 minutes. We had 45 minutes away at St Johnstone when we weren’t so good, and in the second-half we were much better.

“We had a good game during the week. We continued with that in the first-half, but you have to be much better than we were in the second-half.”

Rodgers made just three changes during the second-half and needs additional quality in January. But he said: “There are players to come back. That’s not the story.

“The story is that we were good in the first half and we had enough there. Of course, you want to be able to change the game and change the dynamic of the game, but still we have to be better than what we were.”

Rodgers opted against rushing Cameron Carter-Vickers into the side after a scan as he said: “The feeling was it was just too much of a rush, but it should be fine for midweek [against Feyenoord].

“He is not long term. The scan was clear, but he has had some stiffness in his hamstring.”

Phillips suffered his own goal misery as he deputised and Rodgers said: “I think Nat played like the team.

“In the first half he was dominant in the air and he was physically strong. The two centre-halves were good together and dealt with the aerial threat. It was fine.

Mikey Johnston on Celtic mission to convince Brendan Rodgers as he issues reminder of credentials to cut it with the champions

“We just went a little bit negative in the second half and ended up conceding the two goals and he was unfortunate with the own goal.”

Some of Celtic’s stars simply didn’t cope as Killie pushed on the artificial pitch, but Rodgers said: “I thought the pitch was all right for an astroturf surface. When you get rain, it makes it slick, and it was actually good.

“In the British game, you have to have that adaptability, but it wasn’t as if it was the whole performance, but it was a big disappointment because we didn’t see that in the first half.”

GET MORE NEWS HERE