BRENDAN RODGERS refused to play the blame game after Celtic’s dramatic collapse in the 5-1 hammering from Ajax in Como last night.
The team did well in the first-half against a lively Dutch outfit as Yang Hyun-jun netted a super equaliser and the Hoops twice rattled the woodwork.
The opening 45 minutes was completed at 1-1 and honours even with little to hint at the avalanche that awaited as the champions toppled to a shuddering loss during a dreadful second period in which they were pinned in their own half for lengthy spells.
Kasper Schmeichel was left practically defenceless as the Amsterdam outfit lined up to take shots at the Danish keeper.
SHOUT OF ORDER…under-pressure Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel.
It would be fair to say the veteran shotstopper looked more than a little exasperated at what was developing in front of him throughout the second-half.
Rodgers refused to point fingers at anyone on the park, but the Hoops gaffer once again stated the club will have to show ambition in the transfer market if they hope to improve.
After watching solid and satisfying victories against Sporting Lisbon and Newcastle United in the two previous games, the wheels came off in spectacular and painful fashion in Italy.
The player pool needs reinforcements before the window closes in just over a month’s time and Rodgers said: “It depends what your ambition is. If your ambition is to really progress and push forward, then we need to improve the squad.
“But I can’t fault the players. The players who are here, they’ve been working so well, so hard and you see some of the play and how they work has been very, very good.
“However, if you want to progress, then, as I said, you need to bring in quality and that’s something that we hopefully can do.”
QUALITY CONTROL…Brendan Rodgers will step up the chase for reinforcements. Image courtesy Celtic TV.
Rodgers, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “I think the scoreline didn’t quite reflect the game. In the first 60 minutes we played a lot of really good football with physicality, we broke through their pressure, scored one, could have had more.
“I just thought the last 30 minutes, we’ve pushed the players really hard in the pre-season, so it looked a wee bit leggy.
“But that aside, we should keep the ball better and can be better in duels, so there’s no doubt we lost out on that.
“Then the two final goals are probably a consequence of that.”
The Hoops team chief added: “There were enough really good moments in the game, but certainly the last 30 minutes, we would want to be better.
“I think that’s the nature of a pre-season. It’s designed to grow and by the end of it, you’ve had really good tests.”
