ALEX’S ANGLE: PROVE ME WRONG, CELTIC

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BY MY admittedly dodgy reckoning, I think Celtic have another three hours plus stoppage-time to run in this season’s rollercoaster European adventure.

It doesn’t matter if we are paired with Real Madrid, the holders of the elite silverware, or Bayern Munich, the powerhouse Bundesliga outfit, in today’s draw, I just cannot envisage Brendan Rodgers and his players emerging triumphant and unscathed over the next two encounters.

Trust me, dear reader, it does not give me any satisfaction writing these words while making this observation.

With all the optimism and positivity I can possibly summon, I still cannot see us magicking a safe passage against the Spanish or German opposition.

I witnessed very little against Aston Villa that would put even a scintilla of doubt in my mind. Sad, but true.

TOUCHLINE ENCOURAGEMENT…Brendan Rodgers urges on his Celtic players.

The manager may well flag up the feeling of pride in his players to get off the canvas after the hosts had hurtled into a two-goal advantage in five minutes.

Yes, that devastating opening period could have led to an evening of sheer hell and humiliation for Celtic.

Painful recent memories of the disintegration in Dortmund immediately made an unwanted intrusion in my thought process.

Remember, it took Borussia all of seven minutes to open the scoring that horrendous October evening before they piled on the misery to thunder their way to 5-1 at the turnaround before easing somewhat after the break to settle for 7-1.

You might want to look away now, but possible opponents Bayern Munich are currently leading the top-flight with 48 points after 19 games. That’s an awesome TWENTY-TWO points more than our Westfalenstadion torturers who languish in 11th position.

One thing that sorry episode in North Rhine proved was that this current Celtic squad possesses steel and backbone.

KNOCK ON WOOD…Kasper Schmeichel prepares to grab the ball after Jacob Ramsey’s shot rebounds from his right-hand post.

They recovered with an immediacy that earned them deserved accolades and they emphasised their fortitude by grinding out a goalless draw a mere three weeks and a day later in Bergamo against the current holders of the Europa League, Atalanta.

So, credit where credit is due; this Celtic pool of players have a helluva lot going for them as far as character is concerned.

Having said that, I’m not buying into any talk about it being a close-run thing in the Midlands. For most of the confrontation, Villa, a creditable eighth in the Premier League and with the importance of home advantage, were superior to their opponents.

Folk can point to the result being in the balance until Morgan Rogers completed his hat-trick in stoppage-time to make the final score 4-2, but that doesn’t really wash with me.

During the game, Unai Emery’s side missed a penalty-kick, hit the woodwork once, Alistair Johnston made a desperate goal-line clearance and Kasper Schmeichel made a few top-class saves.

Compared to that, it was a picnic in Emiliano Martinez’s penalty area. Adam Idah did his reputation and confidence no harm by snapping up a quickfire double, but I don’t recall the Argentinian keeper being asked to deal with too much outwith that two minutes and 25 seconds purple patch.

Reo Hatate had him scrambling across his line midway through the second-half with a sweeping drive from outside the box, but, unfortunately, the effort flew just wide of the right-hand upright.

GOING DOWN…Ollie Watkins prepares for a crash landing after Auston Trusty’s ill-timed challenge.

As we did in Dortmund, we missed the commanding presence of Cameron Carter-Vickers in central defence. Auston Trusty and Liam Scales, two lefties, are not a good mix.

The USA international has much to learn in his football education. He is probably a defender because of his physical stature and towering height, but he should watch old videos of Billy McNeill in action and pick up hints in how to get distance on headed clearances.

It was never enough for the club legend to merely get his head to high crosses. Billy would rise, garner the strength in his neck muscles, make contact and attempt to propel the ball as far from the danger zone as possible.

Merely getting a touch with your cranium was never enough for the Lisbon Lion. Trusty set up a great opportunity for Jacob Ramsey the other night after failing to make a proper connection and the ball dropped about six yards away for the opponent to first-time a shot against the base of the right-hand post that fortunately bounced into the arms of the grateful Schmeichel.

And the Pennsylvanian could brush up his skills on the deck, too. His challenge on Ollie Watkins that led to the squandered penalty-kick was naive in the extreme and the England international was quick to hit the turf at the merest intrusion.

In European competition, that’s a spot-kick all day long. Maybe justice was done as Watkins skied his effort towards Row E as he slipped at the moment of impact.

Scales, undoubtedly a warrior, treats the ball like a live grenade on occasions and there was an alarming disconnect between the back four and the midfield against Villa.

Rodgers can be as subtle as an earthquake at times and that was underlined when he introduced youngsters Dane Murray and Daniel Cummings to proceedings late in the game.

Yes, we all know Celtic need strengthening in central defence when Carter-Vickers is sidelined which is worryingly too often these days.

The club elected to sell main attacking threat Kyogo Furuhashi just days before the match and that left Idah with an enormous burden.

Cummings, making his first appearances, was a lost Bhoy at Villa Park and anyone hoping for a fairy-tale debut should remember these little yarns are the work of fiction.

Celtic, admittedly, had their moments in the Midlands, but this is a team that will always find a course to lead them to choppy waters even in the most tranquil ocean.

They have a tendency to make life difficult for themselves.

As we are about to witness in the next three hours of the current Champions League odyssey.

Mind you, I will be absolutely overwhelmed by joy if Celtic prove me wrong.

ALEX GORDON

 

 

 

 

 

 

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