THE post mortems and recriminations will probably go on all the way through summer.
Undoubtedly, fingers will be pointed at certain individuals who just did not come up to scratch against Aberdeen at Hampden.
In moments of monumental disappointment, objectivity can often be forced to take a backseat, clarity of vision is regularly obscured and knee-jerk reactions are a staple order of the day.
Yes, Kasper Schmeichel was to blame for the Dons’ equaliser.
Yes, Daizen Maeda should have made certain of the treble deep in stoppage-time before he blew a gilt-edged opportunity.
DESPAIR…the Celtic players fear the worst in the penalty-kick shoot-out.
Yes, the penalty-kicks taken by Callum McGregor and Alistair Johnston came nowhere near the quality of the four smashed past Schmeichel by the opposition.
Yes, Celtic had rotten luck when shots from Arne Engels and Jeffrey Schlupp shuddered the goal frame with Dimitar Mitov helpless.
And, yes, much more was expected from the likes of Nicolas Kuhn, Adam Idah, Johnston and Maeda and also Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny and Yang Hyun-jun when they were introduced to the action.
As the manager points out, the players “are not robots” and, naturally, it is human to err. We can all take that on board, but there was much about Celtic in this encounter that that is simply perplexing and preposterous.
How can a team with 84 per cent of possession in two hours of football only manage three shots on target? The Dons, chasing the ball for most of the day, hit two to trouble Schmeichel.
It was ironic that the Hoops’ solitary goal should result from a corner-kick as Alfie Dorrington deflected in Cameron Carter-Vickers’ header after Engels’ left-wing set-play.
Celtic had 15 corner-kicks and their delivery for just about every single one of them was monotonously predictable; the ball into the middle of a packed penalty area and let’s see what breaks.
CRUNCH…Arne Engels challenges for the ball with a Dons opponent.
Mitov and Co knew what to expect and dealt capably with them all – apart, of course, from the own goal.
Engels, Kuhn and, latterly, McCowan swirled in a sequence of deadballs and were all reading from the same script. A variation or two may have given their opponents cause for concern.
On a personal level, I was more than surprised the manager elected to remove the £11million Belgian playmaker from the action in the 66th minute, just moments after Engels had struck the base of the right-hand upright with a clever effort.
The player looked just a tad miffed as he left the field. I don’t blame him. At that stage, Bernardo gave the impression he was leg weary and looked the more likely candidate for the hook.
The Portuguese performer remained on the pitch for another 34 minutes before being replaced by Schlupp. If he contributed anything positive in that space of time, I have to confess I missed it.
HIGHS AND LOWS…Paulo Bernardo walks away as Shayden Morris celebrates Dons’ freak equaliser.
Having said that, it is difficult to argue with a manager who has lifted 11 out of the 13 domestic trophies that have been up for grabs over his two spells at Parkhead. He obviously knows what he is doing, but that particular decision had me scratching my head.
If nothing else, the loss on this occasion merely underlines the fact that Celtic have had to earn every single one of the 120 honours they have amassed during their fairly dramatic, exciting and successful journey through football since coming to life in 1888.
That’s a phenomenal record, no argument.
You learn more about yourself in defeat than you do in success is the old maxim. I believe that.
I also reckon we are in for a summer of massive change at the champions. There are players currently on the books who will be history by the time August rolls around.
There is no need for a scattergun approach to a revamp, but a squad shake-up, with players coming and going, is imperative.
Refresh. Regroup. Restart.
Brendan Rodgers is in for a busy summer. I doubt if he would have it any other way.
ALEX GORDON
