This has to go down as a huge disappointment. And yet it is hard to pinpoint just exactly where we went wrong. We certainly had our best available men on the park, but for some reason it did not come off. We failed to score early on, and when we lost the first goal, we were always chasing the game – and never quite caught up with it.
I think that, in spite of all the rhetoric, we did underestimate the opposition. They surprised us in two respects – one was their speed and fitness, and the other (less creditably) was their ability to waste time, particularly by faking injuries and by mocking our huddle. They were not a nice bunch of boys, I don’t think, but they were certainly streetwise and clearly know how to win games. They also had the luck that one needs as well, particularly with that deflection for the third goal, but then again the Bodo player had the opportunity to shoot which should have been denied him.
So what about Celtic? So many of our men decided to have a poor game. Tom Rogic had one of the poorest games I can remember him play. I had to ask myself if he was fit. Was he perhaps carrying an injury? Tom was rightly substituted, but there were others who did not come up to the mark. Abada and Jota both possibly played well enough, but never looked like matchwinners, as they have been in the past. The defence must really have a long hard look at itself – in every case in the three goals, the opponent was unwatched when he had the chance to shoot. This must never be allowed to happen, if you are going to do well in Europe. Sadly both full backs Juranovic and Taylor were a little under par as well.
In midfield McGregor and O’Riley get pass marks, but not a great deal more. Up front, Maeda always puts in a shift, and I love the way he keeps running even when the cause seems lost. He got a goal, but we will need a lot more next week.
Our chances are, frankly, not high. Had the third goal not gone in, and had the score stayed at 2-1, I would have said we had a reasonable chance but the deflected goal was a real sickener. It is not impossible, but we need two or three players to turn on a stellar performance, and to prove that they can produce the goods when we really need them to do it. The way that we played against Rangers in the first half on 2 February would be enough to beat anyone, but it remains to be seen whether we can up our game sufficiently to turn the tables.
It pains me yet again to have to mention words like “naivety” to describe Celtic in Europe. The personnel are all different from previous seasons, but there still remain the glaring deficiencies in marking and giving the ball away cheaply. You simply cannot afford to make any mistakes in Europe. There still remains the second leg next week. I repeat it is not impossible, but we will have to up our game in every respect. But let us not take our eye off the ball for Sunday against Mark McGhee’s Dundee. We must win that one as well.
Last night’s atmosphere was once again spine tingling, at least at the start. The Green Brigade tried to kick start the team on several occasion, but the team failed to respond. I would hate to think that this will be the last European night at Parkhead this season. The news from Germany was depressing, but maybe that one is not all over yet either. Sadly, though, I fear it might be.
David Potter
Great article. One small point, the personnel have not all changed… John Kennedy is still there, sitting mute as Bodo players waste time. McCarthy should be playing regularly fir physical strength
Forget this nonsense. Put out a changed team away. Try to get home with some dignity and concentrate on the League. Hopefully they get at least a couple more ties in the Europa. While we focus on winning the title back. Big win against Dundee on Sunday. No complacency.
If you think these games have no bearing on the league ,think again. They go into this weekend’s games on a high,we go into them in the depths. They could go out after the ties next week and we could stay in,the momentum would back with us then. However if they go through they will be on a high for ages……and we will have to do something special to turn the momentum in our favour again.
“They mocked our huddle” ,they’re not nice. Is that it after last night? Yes a good lot of our supporters underestimated this team even the whacking they gave Roma….” they’re Norwegian what do they know about fitba?”. The ignorance and arrogance some of our supporters have at times about football out with Scotland is embarrassing. However Ange’s after match interview ,where he said we controlled the game , was embarrassing too . He sounded like a broken man having suffered the last 2 or 3 games…..remember the unusual roaring on the touch line on Sunday.
.. but, the flip side of that is that we have to put in a good performance after so many poor players v Bodo & they’ll be desperate to play Dundee to get that out of their system.
Maybe They suffer a European hangover as they beat a good name in Dortmund, not a good team & might come back down to earth with a bang if not all at it in the league. May start believing all the hype & praise & forget we pumped them 3-0 two weeks ago. Psychology works in more than one way, my friend.
Agreed. League thetarget this year.
Goalposts are there for two reasons.
A)to score into.
B)to defend.
Celtic did not deserve any more than what we got.
Pretty football not enough in Europe.
No excuses.
Hopefully back to reality in the league.
N L would have been booed off the park after a display like last night.
Bad night at the office maybe ? Left backs been a problem since kt was sold + still is imo missing kyogo badly now , he’s the guy to get us out a hole when we play poor remember – hindsight a great thing but you’ll never get away wi playing 3 midfielders who couldn’t tackle a paper bag at this level