Across Brendan Rodgers’ two spells as Celtic manager, that served up yesterday is up there with one of his worst moments…
Outcoached by a Daily Record columnist and a Sportscene pundit. Where do you begin to start?
Rodgers talked a big game on Friday at his presser, only to deliver that disastrous first 45 minutes. Last Sunday he said: “Rangers stole our game that day… we will be ready,” when discussing the cataclysmic showing at Ibrox in January.
Bluster and bravado. Did he learn anything tactically from 2nd January ? Failed to adapt, and his game management when it went to 2-2 must be questioned. Another late goal conceded similarly to the League Cup final – once again his players failed to remain disciplined and concentrated in the final minutes. If you can’t win it, don’t lose it.
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Nine goals conceded in three matches against them – conceded the first goal in each of those three games – and have looked second best for majority of those individual encounters at Hampden, Ibrox and now Celtic Park.
A notable point: Celtic prided themselves in Glasgow Derby games in recent seasons to start on the front foot, be aggressive and set the tone. That has been eroded in the last four occasions. Starting slowly has cost the team and must be addressed heading to Ibrox in the post-split fixture.
The former Go Radio pundit and now Ibrox interim boss Barry Ferguson deployed similar tactics to Philippe Clement – unsurprisingly – and Rodgers had no answer for it – again. A reminder, the Irishman gets paid handsomely for these types of fixtures, and he has not been flexible enough this season. A huge concern.
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Celtic lacked energy, creativity and urgency. The latter being glaringly obvious given how pedestrian and passive Rodgers’ men were in the first half.
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I will not fall into the trap of believing Callum McGregor was the missing piece in the puzzle for Celtic yesterday afternoon. The skipper played in the last two games against the Ibrox club, and the same weaknesses were exposed then as well.
The same can be said for the unavailability of Auston Trusty and Liam Scales. Trusty lasted 45 minutes at Hampden, and the less said about Scales’ outing at Ibrox, the better. Rodgers’ over-emphasis in his post-match comments about McGregor being missing due to a calf injury was an excuse and a deflection, plain and simple.
Where were the leaders in McGregor’s absence? The experienced players really were abysmal. Schmeichel was literally selling the jerseys in the first half, Schlupp was dreadful, Johnston lacked any sort of energy and produced possibly his worst showing in his two years in Glasgow and Carter-Vickers was all over the shop.
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Luke McCowan has his limitations and struggled with the intensity of playing against Raskin, Diomande and Barron but he kept working hard, stayed involved, and never shied from taking the ball – and that’s all you can really ask when things aren’t going your way.
Nicolas Kuhn and Arne Engels done an awful lot of hiding. Abject displays. Kuhn seemed to have the heart of a mouse, hence Rodgers hooking him at half-time. A revelation in the first half of the season. But, since January, the winger has been largely anonymous. Both had no bravery to their play, when they received the ball, it was all a bit basic and simplistic – sidewards and backwards and there was no dynamism to their game. Complete letdowns.
And the goals yesterday, like the three at Ibrox, and similarly to the three at Hampden, were chronic. The first, Schlupp fails to make first contact from a header at a corner [against the smallest player on the pitch]– a theme for Celtic defenders in the first half. The second, Raskin makes a simple run unmarked into the box. The third, my word. Calamitous from Carter-Vickers and Johnston. Sunday amateur stuff.
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The positives were undoubtedly Jota and Daizen Maeda. Celtic had several underwhelming performers, but Daizen’s relentless work rate and determination helped pull us back into the match. Kicked off the pitch by his opponents, but as always covered every blade of grass and was the Hoops’ main attacking threat. Where would Celtic be without him?
A mention to Maik Nawrocki. Was steady and for playing zero Scottish Premiership minutes this season prior to the game, didn’t do much wrong. In that sense, he is blameless for what unfolded.
Now, the post-split game at Ibrox becomes a must-win for Rodgers. In the context of the season, the fixture might not mean much. Celtic will be going as champions. However, losing three times to them in the league this campaign seems incomprehensible and would be an embarrassment for the manager.
Conor Spence
Connor, enough with the Doom and gloom. A big reason why celtic lost is because they have effectively won the league and they did well in europe but are out. Its very hard to get motivated when effectively there is nothing left to play for (apart from pride) Rangers on the other hand are still in europe and have a new manager and are desperate for any kind of success. They wanted it more and deserved it – end of. It doesnt excuse some of the players attitude, bit this is the real reason. Had this game been played with the league very much in the balance you would have seen a different team turn up. So lets celebrate that Celtic gave done well in Europe for a change and have won the league!!
Absolute nonsense as we were poor in the cup final also and that was a meani gful game, the gers have got our measure at this moment as the goals lost against them will testify, personally I think we lack physicality especially in midfield and some of our boys don’t like it when the going gets tough and I exclude Maeda who can’t be faulted but Kuhn and Engels shit themselves and unless we sort it out expect more of the same st Ibrox.
So I guess the way we played in Europe and the fact we won the league at a canter is simply forgotten and means nothing… I’m not saying there’s nothing wrong but the measure of a team is how they play over a season not a few poor games. Simply ridiculous to have such a negative reaction.
I think we forget nearly all their team played 120 mins on Thurs night.Celtic are too used to teams sitting back hoping to keep the score respectable and not being up for Rodgers gets away with murder….
When playing the huns we are taking a knife to a gunfight; they can kick and hack and pull players down with impunity but if we try the same we get players sent off. Also, how do you explain to our foreign players that they will get battered without the ref doing anything or the club saying anything? It must be mind boggling for them.
Great article. Brendan must take some blame for that debacle along with over half that team yesterday. You’d be quicker naming the decent performances than the bad . So many didn’t turn up and that’s something the fans will never accept. Back to the days of the early 1960s when we shat the nest every time they saw the blue Jersey. Beaten before they went out. Cowards , almost every one of them. Shame on them.
The signs are there,they are coming maybe with our last two games with them maybe they better now we need to upgrade the team now or become what they once were.
When was the last time that the Huns won a meaningful game against Celtic? Yesterday was a sore one to take, but it matters not a jot in the grand scheme of things. He who laughs last, laughs longest. The Huns will certainly not be laughing, when they are papped out of Europe and have won feck all. Again.
Hail Hail.
Excellent, everything spot on, and the replies about league over, Europe etc, a total red herring, irrelevant in the context of these games.
We were utterly useless. Half the team looked terrified and most of the other half decided they would rather not play. A pathetic performance by the team. A few players turned up. Reo, Maeda, Nawrochi and maybe Jota, who is not match h fit. Brendan Rodgers has to take responsibility for yet again sending a team out onto the pitch unprepared emotionally and tactically. Truly awful.
I agree with your assessment on BR changing the tactics against the tribute act, there’s nothing wrong with playing the ball long into their fullbacks area (watch how Bilboa punish their FBs) and get them turned for the first 20min and when the game settles then implement our style of play.
Blaming him for some of Celtic’s best players not performing is unfair, it kills me to say it but anyone who say’s these games are just a bad day at the office haven’t been paying attention, Sevco have harassed our team into playing poorly.
Now I’m not saying they are a good team, far from it however they play there system well and it’s up to BR to nullify that.
Nothing has changed in so much as he is a quality manager, we lost the battle on Sunday (again) but the glory of winning the WAR is only weeks away, roll on the treble……..
HH