Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart speaking after Celtic’s 3-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen…”We have to learn. It’s such an easy thing to say but we have to, and we will. We have a manager who wants to create something and we’re all buying into it.”
Joe Hart made some quite frankly astonishing saves but even that wasn’t enough as Celtic failed to hold onto their hard-fought 2-1 lead against Bayer Leverkusen last night in the Europa League. Indeed even conceding once in the closing stages was still sort of okay as it would have taken the decision on who joins Leverkusen in the Europa League knock-out stages to the last game when Real Betis visit Celtic Park next month.
But as is often the case Celtic in these European away days conceded goals in pairs and suddenly a 2-1 advantage was transformed horribly into a 302 deficit. Hart was frustrated and very honest in this post match interview with Virgin Media Sport.
And if any good is to come from it then it will come when Ange tells the moneymen at Celtic Park to look at his bench at Leverkusen and tell him its good enough to compete at this level never mind Champions League – which Celtic will enter next season if they can win the league.
The January window will show us whether Celtic are serious or not about backing Angeball. Here’s what Joe Hart had to say, hard to disagree with a word of it…
“We need to keep that character going. There are lots of positives of course but I think we have to be real. We’re trying to create something where we’re not here to take part but really compete.
“We did that for most of the game and look what happened to us. It’s very frustrating but we’re learning as a group. The supporters are with us and we appreciate that but we can’t take that for granted. No more nights like this.
“You have to learn. I’m old enough now to not come out here and say we’ll lose our minds over a loss, we’re not. We’ll dust ourselves down. But we have to learn. It’s such an easy thing to say but we have to learn.
“And we will. We’ve got a good coaching staff. We’ve got a manager who wants to create something. We’re all buying into it where we can be told where can do better and what we can improve. We really need to open our eyes and open our ears. We’re not getting a huge opportunity to train with how the games come so we have to learn in the classroom.”
