Celtic have exited the League Cup after a defeat to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. The Scottish Champions won the League Cup after beating Rangers in the Final last season but there will be a new winners of the competition after Brendan Rodgers’ side exited the tournament down in Ayrshire.
Despite arriving in Ayrshire with injuries to Cameron Carter-Vickers, Reo Hatate, Stephen Welsh, Oh and Alistair Johnston, Rodgers made just two changes from the side that started at Pittodrie last weekend with Gustaf Lagerbielke partnering Maik Nawrocki and Odin Thiago Holm making his first start at the expense of David Turnbull.
Celtic started strongly and in the first fifteen minutes there were promising signs with a couple of chances being created. This quickly changed and Derek McInnes’ resilient Killie dug in and refused to give much away. The lack of creativity from Celtic was alarming. There was a pedestrian nature to Celtic’s play, one pass too many and not attempting to work the goalkeeper.
Kilmarnock were worthy winners. They took their only real chance of the game and then defended their lead well. For Celtic, there will be a period of reflection. The manager has said that there is a lot of work to be done and there is likely more arrivals required to get the team up to the necessary level to compete in Europe and dominate the league.
The manager will learn a lot from this defeat about his players and their reaction. The manager’s interview was honest and fair but it will tell him what he needs moving forward.
Rodgers may feel that he should have had a penalty in injury time when Sead Haksabanovic was brought down. The replays confirmed that he had been clipped but rather than ask Alan Muir to review the incident, Don Robertson issued the instruction to play on.
There is clearly work to be done to this Celtic team. Rodgers was explicit with that. However, he will be bitterly disappointed with his team’s output. There are still almost two weeks remaining in the transfer window and the team requires more arrivals in order to deliver the necessary success for the club. Rodgers mentioned quality and in order to compete in Europe, Celtic need that quality.
Spineless and gutless performance
We were bad, very bad & to win ANY game in this country with these refs we have to be very good. Taylor’s bleeding ear doesn’t warrant a VAR check? The offside line was not drawn from the furthest point of the Killie striker (his shoulder) & we get a 2 second glimpse on tv & it’s gone. If Haksa was Todd Cantwell that’s a penalty.
But, we were so poor, so slow and so many players hiding in plain sight. Maeda must be great in training as he’s awful in games. Taylor and him on the left is weak as feck! Ralston not good enough. Calmac must be missin Hatate as only time he’s looked alive was during Hatate’s cameo last week. Not sure how BR has got us playing so bad, not closing down, not passin & moving, playin long balls from defence etc Were we THAT bad during his 1st tenure? Someone at the club has to start calling out these refs & we need tae open the biscuit tin for proven quality. Thankfully only the wee diddy cup
Brendan Rodgers has stated in his post match interview that the “quality has gone out” the door and that he’s “hoping that we bring that quality in again.” He says he can see that it is evident.
For me it is evident. We need another winger in the door that is of the quality of Jota.
Our full backs that played as inverted midfielders today were ineffective. And the ball played across the back 3 should have been dealt with.
O’Rielly was deservedly hooked in midfield he was ineffective. Rodgers praised Haska and Yang’s contribution. I felt differently about Yang. I was very disappointed to see him taking that dive.
I thought Liel Abada shied away at taking on and beating his running at his opponent. He’s being easily dispossessed.
The Kilmarnock pitch played it’s part of course with the bounce factor.
Joe Hart has to be replaced he’s not saving anything right now.
Well done to Kilmarnock and the rest of the teams in the League Cup.
“One pass too many” and “too slow” is exactly what we seen before Rodgers the rat left for Leicester. I said yesterday that I feared for this season as the club has literally been taken back 5 years to a period where the yes man they employed is happy to leave transfers to the board and allow them to leave it until the end of the transfer window. Ange had his signings in and settled before a ball was kicked. I said previously that taking Rodgers back was a mistake and 3 games in with 3 poor performances, it appears I have been proven correct. Only this time it will cost us a fortune to send him out the door.
Our fans over praise boys like Holm, you never start boys in Away Cup games. Taking off Abada ORiley our recent goalacorers was madness. Why did Taylor not go down on pitch for treatment? As usual Kennedy Strachan mute on touchline when decisions go against us
I agree. Rodgers has destroyed a great passing and attacking team, turning it into a team of disjointed layabouts. He did this at Leicester and now he’s doing it at Celtic. There was no need for him to change Ange’s style of play and we can see already the damage it’s doing.
Rodgers needs to go and serious money needs psent now to improve the team, starting with a hungry manager who has something to prove. That was absolutely woeful today and it’s down to more than players getting used to Rodgers’ way of playing. He’s dismantling everything Ange built instead of improving on it. Shocking!!
Poor Celtic,he destroyed Leicester,and now it’s Celtic’s turn. Pass his sell by date.get rid fans.
I agree,the way BR has them playing is a disappointment.BR has destroyed a good attacking & passing team which big Ange put in place,passing is shocking better of watching a pub team which can pass alot better than what i watched,why stop going forward to go back doesnt make sense,communication was shocking.bottom line players are lazy thinking they can show up & win & BR better sort it or he will be gone before Xmas cause in europe we will be destroyed & looks like teams in scotland are not afraid to play against celtic the way we play