CALMAC – 5.5/10 – Oh, skipper, where art thou? It might not have been evident in the SPL attrition wars against low blocks, but up against an ambitious foreign side who press, spring, and go man-on-man across the middle, Calmac needs an Engels in beside him rather than being isolated while Reo and Negan chase the spaces ahead. Going Han Solo against rabid hustlers gives him the only option of ball-retention, turning back, and our forward thrusts are blunted time and time again.
Benjamin Nygren of Celtic and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers are see during the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round First Leg match between Celtic and Kairat Almaty at Celtic Park on August 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
NEGAN – 5.5/10 – Midfield or wing, the Swede looks settled in either, yet not dazzling. He’s not bad, but lacked a final ball of real quality to complete the match-winning link-ups we so desperately needed. He had plenty company.
Reo Hatate of Celtic is put under pressure by Dastan Satpaev and Yerkin Tapalov of Kairat Almaty during the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round First Leg match between Celtic and Kairat Almaty at Celtic Park on August 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
HAKUNA HATATE – 6.5/10 – Wrigglesome Reo was so close to being the mhan of the hour – for a while in the second 45 he appeared to be revving-up to unplayability levels…But, frustratingly, the rub of the green eluded him,
and the eastern promise faded to Glesgae grief.
Reo Hatate of Celtic challenges for the ball with Yerkin Tapalov of Kairat Almaty during the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round First Leg match between Celtic and Kairat Almaty at Celtic Park on August 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s not the players failing to get up to tempo (barring Idah), it’s Brendan not allowing them to take any risk whatsoever. It’s like watching Craig Levein’s Scotland all over again. 0-0 is a good result the mantra. I’m over it. He should never have been taken back but the board knew he was a pushover and so they did.