CELTIC have scored a meagre three goals in three competitive games in a false start to the season – and Ange Postecoglou has yet to see a hitman claim a strike.
The Hoops have lost two and drawn one of the outings and the men on target have been winger Liel Abada in the 1-1 home draw against FC Midtjylland, midfielder Callum McGregor in the 2-1 loss in the resturn leg and defender Anthony Ralston in the 2-1 defeat against Hearts at Tynecastle last night.
Not only has Odsonne Edouard not collected a goal, the French ace has hardly had an effort to worry the rival keepers.
The Parkhead club are heading for a second consecutive campaign of abject misery after last term’s first trophyless crusade in 11 years.
Postecoglou acknowledges there is no hiding place or spare time to get the side back on track and he has ordered his firing squad to do their job.
Ex-Hoops No.1 Craig Gordon had a competent night in Edinburgh and his best stop came in stoppage time when James Forrest lost his composure at the crucial moment and blasted the ball from an angle that touched the advancing netminder as he spread himself courageously to defend his goal and his team 2-1 lead. The ricochet saw the effort sweep wide of the near post. A split-second’s thought from the experienced winger would have seen him chop inside to open up a new angle. In his haste to hit the ball he sacrificed accuracy.
It was left to right-back Ralston to conjure up an equaliser with a goal any forward would be more than delighted to claim as one of their own as he sped into the danger zone, shrugged off two tackles and thumped an unstoppable shot past his one-time colleague.
Postecoglou, speaking to the Sunday Mail, admitted: “We are just not getting the rewards for our play and when that happens you keep the opposition in the game.
“We get into so many good crossing areas and the crosses ended up out of the touchline, so, for me, it is probably the area we need to improve the most.
“At some point the responsibility comes to those players to take the opportunities we are providing for them. At the moment we are not doing that.
“Defensively, it is not like we have been put under pressure for periods in any of the games, but when you keep the opposition in the game there is always a possibility from set-pieces or counter-attacks.”
The shot-shy frontmen – Edouard, in particular – have got to come up with the answers soon. Thursday night in the Czech Republic against Jablonec would be a good place to start.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AS CELTIC CURSE RETURNS
