Celtic’s failure to properly prepare for the Champions League qualifiers came home to roost yet again as we were unceremoniously dumped out of the competition by yet another so called minnow of European football, in an all too familiar tale that showcased once again the absolute dereliction of duty by those tasked with running our club…
Brendan Rodgers manager of Celtic Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock
Blame goes to the Celtic Board, the manager and our players
As my colleagues have rightly pointed out in some of the articles already published today on The Celtic Star, the Celtic Board aren’t the only ones to blame in this epic failure, with Brendan Rodgers and the players having to rightfully face the wrath of the Celtic fans over their pitiful performance in Kazakhstan too.
I have read enough today about the board and the manager and their part in this disaster, and over the next couple of days I will certainly be writing a few articles focusing on them, but for now I want to look at the people probably most at fault for not beating a team who honestly are on about the same level as Scottish Premiership teams we face week in week out – our players.
Benjamin Nygren of Celtic Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan. Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock
Shoddy recruitment this summer has been completely unacceptable
We can scrutinise our shoddy recruitment so far this summer and the reasons for it all we like but at the end of the day those players who took to the pitch last night should have been more than capable of taking care of Kairat Almaty. I honestly don’t think any of them deserve pass marks but personally I think a few of our big name players have been escaping most of the criticism being directed at the squad, not just last night but this season so far.
I have to say it drives me mad hearing fellow Celtic fans constantly single out certain players for criticism, while others seem to escape flak after poor performances. We know the players who constantly get berated. Liam Scales. Anthony Ralston. Adam Idah. Admittedly sometimes their performances are below par (in Idah’s case it’s regularly) but sometimes they are just made the scapegoat while others are as bad if not worse.
Liam Scales of Celtic Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025 Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock
Scales is probably the one who receives most criticism and while I have said for a long time we could be doing with an upgrade at left centre back, Scales is miles off being the worst offender in our squad. In fact I would go as far as saying he’s been out best defender so far this season. Although limited players, at least you get 100% every time from the likes of Scales and Ralston, more than what can be said for some of their more talented colleagues.
Celtic and Kairat Almaty line ups Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 August 2025. Photo Anikita Bassov Shutterstock
Cameron Carter-Vickers seems to escape criticism
One player who often seems to escape criticism is Cameron Carter-Vickers. Personally I think he has been shocking this season, yet it never seems to get mentioned. I feel like his performance levels have slowly declined over the past year, some of which I was putting down to him carrying an injury but this season he’s supposedly back to full health yet he looks to have lost another half yard of pace, and that’s being polite.
At times he looks like he’s towing the Titanic behind him. Not only that but his concentration levels have been suspect too. In almost every game lately he’s been having a lapse of concentration that has almost cost us dearly. I actually text a friend last night saying CCV is giving me Efe Ambrose vibes and although it was said as a joke, there was a lot of truth behind it too.
Kieran Tierney has failed to impress
Another player who has failed to impress me so far this season has been Kieran Tierney. As I write this I know I will face a backlash as Kieran is a huge fan favourite but so far he hasn’t gelled well in this Celtic team. I was delighted to see him return to the club but in all honesty I thought he would have been an absolute standout in this team but he’s been far from it.
Kieran Tierney of Celtic Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock
Celtic missing a full back playing that ‘inverted’ role
Defensively he’s done well and is definitely an upgrade on Greg Taylor in that department but going forward I genuinely believe Greg offered more. I doesn’t help that Daizen Maeda has been played on the left wing so often as I think him and Kieran’s game are far too similar and they struggle to work in tandem together. Both hug the touchline and try to whip balls into the box and it just looks a mess, truth be told. It’s also shocking how one footed he is, almost never turning inside where he would have to use his right foot, and it certainly looks like Celtic are missing a full back playing that ‘inverted’ role.
Reo Hatate of Celtic applauds Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock
Where art thou, Reo?
At the end of last season we were constantly told that if Reo Hatate hadn’t been injured and played in the Scottish Cup Final we would have beaten Aberdeen. The evidence last night said otherwise, against a team who set up to frustrate just as Aberdeen had done back in May. He was definitely one we were looking at to provide that bit of quality in the final third, that moment of magic to break the Kazakhs down but in reality he offered nothing. In fact I felt the often vilified Arne Engels offered more in that regards when he came on, although his set play deliveries really let him down.
Callum McGregor of Celtic applauds travelling fans after the full time whistle Kairat Almaty v Celtic, UEFA Champions League, Play-Off Round, Second Leg, Football, Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan – 26 Aug 2025Almaty Almaty Central Stadium Kazakhstan Photo Nikita Bassov/Shutterstock
Callum McGregor has been a shadow of his former self
There are others in the team who aren’t producing the goods so far this season but getting away with it. Callum McGregor has been a shadow of his former self. Maeda looks back to the player who frustrated us during his early days at Celtic Park and his miss last night near the end of the 90 minutes really was unforgivable. When you actually look at our squad overall it seems like most players have regressed this season. The only player I can think of that looked to be maintaining his high standards was Alastair Johnston, who is now unfortunately injured.
Alistair Johnston of Celtic is stretchered off after sustaining an injury 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)
The rest need to start finding their form
The rest need to start finding their form, and last night should be the wake up call needed to make them realise that you need to do more than just turn up to beat the opposition. If not, then opportunities should be handed to the likes of young Donovan and Murray, who both looked better than some of regular starters after they came on last night. With the Champions League now gone, maybe now’s the perfect time to blood in a few of our own young talents, while at the same time giving some of our ‘star’ players a not so subtle hint that they are far from irreplaceable.
Conall McGinty
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I still cant work out how we paid 11 million for engels
The Board dithered in the transfer market, thats why we overpaid for Engels and Idah. They took so long that the selling clubs realised that we were so late in doing the business that we were desperate, with no other options, and paid over the odds! (Why did it take so long to sign Balikwisha, its been an open secret that we were interested since January!!). Don’t blame the players, again its the penny pinchers in the suits with generous salaries and bonuses. It seems that the Board is more interested in accumulating money in the Bank (and thereby bonuses) than challenging for silverware at the top table, where, as a club, we once stood proudly. If thats the Boards ambition I will not be renewing next year. I will still have the memories of the great club we were, but I’m not interested in turning up at great expense each week to enrich the balance sheets of people who don’t have any ambition, other than making money off supporters loyal backs! Brendan will leave this summer, who would blame him??
Rogers keeps on about wanting more quality. Under is management he has bought Engels £11 million Idah £9 million Trusty £6 million Nawrocki £4 million Lagerbecke £3 million so you can hardly say he hasnt been backed in the market. dermot desmond our irish owner Brendan Rogers our Irish manager Adam Idah our Irish striker Jonny Kenny our Irish sriker Liam Scales our Irish defender are we building an Irish team, if thats the case we are going backwards. The Irish national team are hardly world beaters. £100 million in the bank still selling our best players. Maeda by the way wants out thats why he wont sign a new contract. Had Ange been in charge last night he would have gone for it big time, all out attack with lots of energy and pace we would be in next stage . Very sad indeed i personally hope Rogers does leave at end of season the worst record of any Celtic Manager in Europe.
What on earth are you talking about Ireland for. What a crazy, made up theory.
I generally agree with some of the comments , however the Backroom Staff and Graham Rodgers should not escape serious criticism . The lack of tactical awareness from Rodgers & Co. is a serious concern . Celtic , under Rodgers , Kennedy & Co. play a rigid 4-3-3 system no matter who or where we are playing . This happened in Rodger’s first stint as manager and it is still happening now .
Herait played with a 3-5-2 formation in the first leg at Celtic Park and went with the exact same formation in Almaty .
They crowded-out Celtic in mid-field knowing that Celtic would play the same formation and would play their short-passing game time and time again even though it wasn’t working . Good , professional players are able to change things on the field and adjust their tactics but Celtic players can’t or are reluctant to do this for fear of losing their place in the team . That’s why Celtic are so poor against lesser teams in Europe and that’s why they have been made to look ordinary against ” the Rangers” this , and last season .
This is further complicated by the fact that :-
Forest , Tierney and McGregor’s best games for Celtic are behind them.
Hetate flatters to deceive and plays a good game , when he feels like it . Yet he is always First-pick .
Engels is nowhere near the value Celtic paid for his services (If he was a good player , he would have shown-it by now) ?
Ida is in exactly in the same category .
Maeda has obviously been in contact with teams in the English Premiership and has one foot out of the door .
Carter -Vickers is carrying a long-term injury and should be rested.
Add to this , we keep signing ” Developement” bargain basement players who may be good enough for the Scottish game but are no where near the standard we require to make an impact in Europe . The problems with Celtic do reside in the Board-room and they need to address these problems fast if they are not going to be a ” Laughing-stock ” even in the Europa League” . Get well soon Jota and show the Celtic Board and Back-room Staff how the game should be played .
As another blogger colourfully put it”we are witnessing the rotting corpse of Ange Postecoglus team”and I get exactly what he means.Brendan relied heavily on players Ange brought to the club ,ie Johnstone,Maeda,Hatate,Carter Vickers,Jota.Some of those have pretty much downed tools,altho two are lon g term injuries.Brendans signings mostly have been underwhelming and again we are left to actually try and do a mini rebuild in last week of the window,as it looks like Yang and Idah will be gone as well.Whole club is shocking ,top to bottom.