It is difficult to claim to have learned too much new from watching Celtic because it seems to be a familiar story that unfolds.
A dominating opening period was undone as soon as a sloppy goal was lost which has become as recurring a theme around the club as the manager making clear his frustration at the lack of signings.
Anyway, five things we learned from Celtic's 1-1 draw with Suduva in the Europa League:
1. There is a week left in the transfer window. If ever there was a compelling case for fresh blood it has been there in the performance level against Hearts, Partick Thistle and this performance against Suduva. For the first time since Brendan Rodgers arrived at Celtic, the Parkhead side have looked plodding and ordinary. There has been a lack of tempo to their play and a lack of urgency in recent performances. Celtic need some kind of injection to lift things.
2. The first-half goal conceded was confirmation of what has been evident for many months. Celtic are stuck in groundhog day when it comes to casually watching high balls float into the box. They lost a Champions League play-off place through sloppy defending and in Lithuania it was the same story. In control of the game only for one lapse in concentration to undo their early good work. The current defence just isn’t good enough, even if all are fit and available.
3. Celtic suddenly look like a team playing without confidence. The unease at the back seems to seep through the spine of the team. Having gone from dominating this tie and getting off to an ideal start, Celtic lost their way a little in the second period with Craig Gordon called into action to make a couple of decent saves. It was a dull second period with very little creativity on the part of the Parkhead side.
4. Celtic with Odsonne Edouard and Moussa Dembele at the start of the season look as though they would run amok. Injuries to both strikers have undermined the way that Rodgers wants his team to play this season with two out and out forwards and certainly the dynamic of the team looked entirely different just a few weeks ago with both players looking on song.
5. There is a feeling that in European football a 1-1 draw in European football away from home is something to be satisfied with. Celtic, though, will know that they ought to have turned the screw on this game and won comfortably against a team whom they should be head and shoulders above. The expectancy is that Celtic will prevail strongly in Glasgow but the current performance levels are sloppy and insipid. They will go through but if there are genuine ambitions to get out of their Europa League group then the standard has to rise quickly.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel