ANGE POSTECOGLOU admitted making an error over Odsonne Edouard during the 1-0 loss at Ibrox yesterday.
The refreshingly honest Celtic boss acknowledged he got his team selection wrong after startng the game with the French frontman leading the line and Kyogo Furuhashi on the left wing.
Edouard could have justified his place in the starting line-up in the 25th minute when the Japanese raider set him up with an excellent opportunity smack in front of goal.
The striker, possibly playing for the team for the last time, horribly screwed a six-yard effort well off target much to the relief of rookie keeper Robby McCrorie and defender Connor Goldson who had failed to mark his opponent.
FRENCH FARCE…Odsonne Edouard’s remarkable and horrible miss at Ibrox as he mishits the ball yards off target.
BLUNDER BHOY…Odsone Edouard can’t believe he missed. Neither could anyone esle who witnessed his awful attempt.
Edouard was hauled off and replaced with Tom Rogic in the immediate aftermath of Filip Helander’s goal in the 68th minute. Kyogo took over through the centre and the pacy hitman was denied twice by McCrorie from giving the visitors the point they deserved after dominating possession for more than two-thirds of the encounter.
Explaining his quickfire substitution, Postecoglou said: “I just thought Kyogo would be much more of a threat down the middle. To be honest, I probably should have started him there to begin with, but obviously with James Forrest out we’re a little bit short in the wide areas.
“That’s why we started with him out to the left, but I knew with his speed getting Kyogo in the middle was going to cause them problems and that was the main reason.
“Partly it was them scoring the goal, obviously that changed things.”
THE THINKER…Ange Postecoglou is left to ponder his team selection.
Reflecting on Edouard’s glaring and inexplicable miss, Postecoglou, speaking to the Daily Record, added: “It’s disappointing, obviously.
“It was a tight game, a derby game without a lot of chances and not a lot of open spaces.
“The first goal was always going to be important, we didn’t take our opportunity when we had it and paid the price.
“The first goal makes a difference, so if we’d scored that I think it changes the complexion of the game and puts them under a bit more pressure.
“They’re the big moments, it didn’t work out for us on this occasion.
“It’s disappointing that, in a tight game, we could have taken a foothold and we didn’t.”
