Celtic’s Champions League ambitions are in the balance after a tedious 0-0 draw with Kairat Almaty. The Scottish Champions toiled in a frustrating night for the club, which means that a win is required next week to secure progression.
The fears that Celtic had gambled with qualification were swiftly realised as a wooden Celtic struggled to play with any real intensity, resulting in the stalemate in over 100 minutes of football.
Brendan will have his critics insofar as team selection is concerned with Liam Scales, Benji Nygren and James Forrest all starting over Austin Trusty, Arne Engels and Yang. Although, the reality is that the squad was not nearly good enough. A fact that the manager was speaking about before the end of last season.
Unlike last season, the season has started slowly. Celtic have looked predictable and struggled to find the fluid, dynamic football from the first half of last season. Hopes regarding transfer business have turned to apathy and then, frustration. The second half saw Kairat decide to take extreme time wasting measures, which culminated in calls of ‘Sack the Board’ around the ground.
Expected goals, or xG, is a metric that is used to consider how many high value chances are created. Celtic recorded a feeble 0.47, which was lower than that Kazakhstan side (0.48). The staggering decline in the frontline has been visible in recent weeks, a striker, a deputy left back and at least two wingers were required to ease the burden on the attack. Unfortunately, the manager had to call upon Shin, a project signing, shift Liam Scales to left back and push Nygren, who was signed as an ‘eight’ to right wing.
If Celtic fail to progress next week, a reality that should be dawning in the Boardroom of Celtic Park this evening then the blame will lie squarely with the board.
More Brendan fan boy nonsense. The truth is, he is a very mediocre coach who cannot sign a player. Who has he actually signed that has been good outside of Edouard? 20 million last year on Idah and Engels and the only reason one of them started tonight is because the board don’t trust him to throw more money about. Celtic will take a loss on both of those players if and when they move on. That is not the eye of an “elite” coach. And the football is wooden, predictable and stale because that’s exactly the football he wants to play. It’s not a new development either, just look at the football he had them playing before he slid out the door to Leicester. IDENTICAL.
Jeez, your club got gubbed with Brugge yet you are on a Celtic site!!!
What a fanny!!