Pablo Zabaleta’s assessment of Celtic draw sounds like he’s mocking Brendan Rodgers

Let’s play a game of football manager word association.

José Mourinho? Special.

Gordon Strachan? Velocity.

#GordonStrachanThrowback

Reporter: "Gordon, can we have a quick word please?"

Strachan: "Velocity." (walks off). pic.twitter.com/X3DxPOMHoW

— Coral (@Coral) August 24, 2016

Jürgen Klopp? Boom.

Jurgen Klopp with that BOOM BOOM POW! pic.twitter.com/LGfs6uSP9A

— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) March 4, 2016

But what about Brendan Rodgers? The one word you’d associate with the former Liverpool boss would have to be ‘character’.

You know it. We know it. Surely Pablo Zabaleta has been in England long enough to know it.

So we’re starting to think the Argentine’s comments – made after his Manchester City team came from behind three times to draw with Rodgers’ Celtic – were made with the Ulsterman in mind.

Here's your #UCL goal of the night…@MDembele_10's second in a Celtic Park thriller.👌 #CelticvCity https://t.co/eaEXXtGFLV

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 28, 2016

“To come back three times when we were behind shows the character of the team,” Zabaleta told City’s official site in the aftermath of the draw at Celtic Park.

“It’s true that we conceded in three key moments of the game, especially the third goal at the start of the second half but to come back was important.”

Nice work Pablo, you almost got that one past us. We’re looking forward to you sneaking in a few more of those one-liners over the rest of the season.

Hopefully he steps off the team bus for the return leg armed with three envelopes, each with the name of a player inside. Either that or a framed portrait of Joe Allen.