BRENDAN RODGERS admitted Celtic will have to improve after no-goal snore draw at Ibrox.
It was a blankety-blank performance from both teams with the champions having only two shots on target – efforts from Reo Hatate and Kieran Tierney which didn’t trouble Jack Butland – while the struggling hosts didn’t give Kasper Schmeichel anything to worry about for the entire 90-plus minutes.
The Dane has yet to concede a goal this season with four shut-outs in the Premiership and two in the ill-fated Champions League campaign.
The only attempt that has found its way into the Celtic net this term came from Keelan Adams in Falkirk’s 4-1 loss in the Premier Sports League Cup at Parkhead when Viljami Sinisalo was between the sticks.
WELL DONE…a grim-looking Brendan Rodgers acknowledges another shut-out from keeper Kasper Schmeichel after Celtic’s goalless draw at Ibrox..
That aspect of the team’s play is acknowledged by the manager, but he conceded that the creative side of the display was not at an acceptable level for the champions.
Rodgers said: “The positive would be that we kept a clean sheet and over the course of this early part of the season we haven’t given much away.
“On this occasion, we didn’t have a shot against us on goal, so it shows that the team is working, and working very hard.
“But the creative side is nowhere near the level where I’d expect a Celtic team to be. I think it was a poor game, in relation to quality, it was disappointing in that aspect.
“But we leave here with a point and with a big 24 hours ahead.”
DERBY DEBUT…new Bhoy Michel-Ange Balikwisha races away from James Tavernier.
As the club attempt to get bodies in before the 7pm deadline this evening, Rodgers commented on the two Hoops debutants, Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Marcelo Saracchi, with the £4.5million Belgian winger starting the game with the on-loan Uruguayan left-back replacing Kieran Tierney in the 72nd minute.
The Irishman, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “It’s always a tough game to come in and play away at Ibrox, especially as an attacking player, but Michel-Ange will get better.
“He’s got qualities and we’ll look for him to be more aggressive when he has the ball and look to take people on and beat a man – that’s why we bring in one-v-one wingers who can do that, so he’ll be better for that feeling and performance of what it takes.
“It’s a tough game to come into, but Marcelo was positive and played with no fear.
CLAP HANDS…loan Bhoy Marcelo Saracchi acknowledges the Celtic fans.
“From a domestic perspective, we’ve won every game apart from this one, so we’re okay in that aspect, but with a lot of improvements to make.”
Rodgers added: “We’re bitterly disappointed with Champions League because we had a huge opportunity there, but we didn’t take it.
“Hopefully, in the next 34 hours, we can now bring in the players who can really help us and rejuvenate the squad.
“That then allows us to go into the next spell of games with a more creative feel to the team and then we can go and push on and look forward to Europe.”
Celtic now have a break as the internationals take the spotlight and are back in Premiership action against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday September 14.
