Feyenoord 2-0 Celtic – Same old sorry Euro story, Celtic’s millions not invested in the squad

The same bad luck, the same mistakes, same lack of ambition to back the manager, the same outcome yet again away from home in Europe. The most annoying thing was that Feyenoord didn’t even play well, they didn’t have too. They were there for the taking but as usual we shot ourselves in the foot.

It was a pretty even game up until stoppage time in the first half when a combination of woefully bad defending between those in the defensive wall and the goalkeeper saw us fall behind.

That was the turning point. The Feyenoord fans were starting to get restless and the players would have been starting to feel the heat, but that goal changed everything and quickly changed the mood in both dressing rooms at the interval.

You could see that in the way Feyenoord started the second half, they were bright and alert, they looked a totally different side. Rejuvenated. Although at 1-0 we always had hope, but this is Celtic in Europe and we knew what was coming.

Then it happened, in the 65th minute. Penalty to Feyenoord. A joke of a decision. It didn’t end there though as Gustav Lagerbielke was given a second yellow even though it was of the soft variety, I’m surprised VAR didn’t overturn it and award the foul on the Swedish defender which is clear to see.

Joe Hart although redeemed himself for his lesser part in the opening goal as he made a fine stop to keep us in the game. The decision to place the smallest man in the Celtic team in the most important spot in the wall was amateurish in the extreme and made worse by the positioning of the wall which was way too far to the left.

That penalty save gave us a glimmer of hope, but that soon evaporated as rookie Odin Thiago Holm was given a straight red in the 69th minute for going into a challenge with his studs too high. It was a rash challenge and really he can have no complaints.

Feyenoord v Celtic Photo Bart Stoutjesdijk/Shutterstock

The second goal for Feyenoord just put us out of our misery, even at 1-0 we were never getting back into the game. In the end keeping the score at 2-0 was seen as respectable considering we were down to nine men.

We can’t use the two men down excuse to let us off the hook, Too many key players didn’t turn up tonight. Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Kyogo were anonymous. Three of our best players. We needed them tonight and they were posted missing.

Pass marks go to Liam Scales and Matt O’Riley but a year down the road and with £70million sitting in the bank it’s hard to argue that we have gone into this campaign stronger and better prepared that when we played Real Madrid, a much better team than tonight’s opponents.

It might feel better in the cold light of day, but tonight’s feeling is one of massive disappointment and yet another opportunity wasted.

READ THIS…Celtic Away Days, Turin ’81 – Celtic Ethos 1 Vitriol 0

About Author

An ordinary everyday Celtic supporters hailing and still residing in Govan in the shadows of the enemy. I’m a season ticket holder. I Witnessed my first Celtic game in 1988 and have attended when I can ever since. Growing up in the 90s I witnessed Celtic at their lowest, and now appreciate the historic success we enjoy today. I enjoy writing about this wonderful football club and hopefully will continue to do so. I’ve always been a keen writer and initially started this a hobby. My ambition is to one day become as good an author as my fellow Celtic Star colleagues.

3 Comments

  1. Martin Blackshaw on

    I’m just sick of it now. Celtic are a joke in Europe and will continue to be as long as men like Lawwell are in charge of finances. Same old excuses from Rodgers as well, saying how he thought the players competed well, even though Feyenoord were poor. Ange would have walked away from there tonight with 3 points in the bag because he had that Celtic team operating like a well-oiled machine. Rodgers on the other hand is largely a defensive, park the bus type of manager at this level and he got his just rewards for it with a loss. Let’s face it, Celtic are best suited to Scottish football with maybe a wee hope of a run of some sort in the Europa Conference League. At CL level their whipping boys, a team packed with child “projects” Lawwell picked up at Mothercare.

  2. Really don’t like our team set up I bit, and don’t believe our players do either.
    Getting simple basics so wrong from our more experienced players was criminal that was on show tonight.
    This was a very average feyenoord team at best, and yet our tempo is so slow with atrocious passing, isn’t going to win to many, if any games at this level.
    Course the newer players will be made the scapegoats as usual, but my focus with the disappointment is more so upon Rodgers and our more experienced and better players, for giving us such a woeful display tonight.
    Thought feyenoord would be better than they were, especially against our defensive set up, so wasn’t expecting to much beforehand.
    Yet any real half decent side would have totally destroyed us at this level with the amount of cheap possession we were giving away.
    Expected far better from Rodgers Tactically, but really starting to become concerned with so many average and poor displays on offer so far this season.
    Tonight is another to add to an increasing list that Rodgers needs to get sorted out and quickly at that.

    • Reality,these players are above average in a poor spl and woefully lacking against European opposition and tactics and have been for several years and it will continue for years to come.