Old Firm display 'not the Celtic way', concedes Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers conceded that his side's display in their Old Firm stalemate with Rangers was "not the Celtic way" after dropping points for the first time this season. 

Rodgers watched on as his side played out a goalless draw at Ibrox Stadium, in a game that saw clear-cut chances hard to come by between the Glasgow giants. 

John Souttar thought he had given Rangers the lead in the 31st minute when he headed James Tavernier's free-kick home, but the goal was ruled out by VAR for offside. 

Kieran Tierney sent an acrobatic attempt straight at Jack Butland in the 56th minute, but that was the closest either side went to grabbing all three points, with the spoils shared.

Neither could really generate too much of an attacking threat, with the accumulative expected goals (xG) coming to just 0.32 (0.15 for Rangers, 0.17 for Celtic).

The result also saw Celtic fail to win the opening clash against Rangers in the Premiership for only the third time in the last 10 seasons, leaving Rodgers wanting more. 

"I didn't think it was a good game at all. Positive for us, we've defended well in the main at the start of the season, been very resolute," Rodgers told BBC Scotland. 

"We didn't have any shots on goal against us. But our offensive game is nowhere near the level I'd like it to be at. It was a game that lacked quality.

"We've lost players that connected the game for us. When you go through a spell of games you're not scoring, it can affect the other guys, and they don't quite make the forward pass, and they make the safe pass.

"That creativity has come out the team, and we need to find those connections again. I'm very confident we will improve. We have to. That's not the Celtic way of playing."

Rangers, meanwhile, have opened a Premiership campaign with four winless matches for only the fourth time in their history, also doing so in 1964-65, 1978-79 and 1983-84.

They have also now failed to win five successive top-flight games for the first time since December 2005, and this result will hardly ease the pressure on new boss Russell Martin.

Martin, however, was focused on the positives from the display, suggesting the result will be a solid foundation to build on moving forward. 

"I'm disappointed we didn't win because I felt we were good for large parts. I'm really proud of the players' level of fight, desire, aggression, all things we questioned inside and outside of the building," Martin said. 

"That was a big focus today to really fight and show some togetherness and spirit and aggression - and there was so much of that. We couldn't find the composure at times.

"It's an important clean sheet, an important point. We're six points off top, which is frustrating for us, but it gives us something to hunt.

"I was really proud with the response, especially the guys who haven't played much recently.

"Maybe we've placed too much importance on certain things and taken for granted that level of intensity and desire every week. We need to show that level of togetherness all the time. We've got something to build on."