CELTIC fans vented their frustration on the club’s directors as the Hoops fumbled their way through a dismal scoreless stalemate against Kairat Almaty in the first leg of the Champions League play-off at Parkhead last night.
Brendan Rodgers will take his team to Kazakhstan for Tuesday’s return game for a winner-take-all encounter with £40million up for grabs in the next stages of Europe’s elite competition.
The Hoops went into the confrontation under the lights in the east end of Glasgow backed, as ever, by their vocal followers. They were well aware of the importance of a win before the long haul next week.
Sadly, Rodgers’ men could produce a mere TWO shots on target – one with James Forrest seeing a drive touched onto the post and another from Daizen Maeda deep in stoppage-time that went into the grateful arms of the keeper.
SHOCKED…Brendan Rodgers can’t hide his emotions after a false start in Europe.
Much of the build-up to the crucial tie centred on transfers and if the Irishman’s squad would be bolstered for the start of the European campaign.
With the boos and jeers still echoing around the stadium, the Celtic manager was asked for his aftermatch views on an evening where his team couldn’t rise above mediocrity.
Rodgers said: “I think it was pretty clear. You didn’t need to look into the future too far.
“You know these games are tough games and you want to have your best players in and have players in as quick as you can to tackle these sorts of situations.
“But, listen, it is what it is and I just have to accept where it’s at and we’ll now get ready for Saturday and then the long haul on Sunday.
“Then we’ll try and get through on Tuesday.”
Quizzed on the fans’ vehement reaction, Rodgers, speaking to STV, continued: “I do know that, over many years, ‘sack the board’ normally means ‘sack the manager’.
“It’s normally the manager who goes when that starts to be sung.
“I can only really look at the players we have here and the performance. We’ve known for a long time what we’ve needed as a squad, so I don’t want to go into that.
“Of course, at the end of the game, we’re having to shuffle things about to try and make it work.
“The players are out of position, but the players’ endeavour in the second-half was really good. But, at this level, it’s more than that. So, hopefully, we can show that.”
ONE IN THE EYE…Brendan Rodgers gives his views after the Parkhead stalemate.
The Parkhead gaffer added: “The boys are a great bunch of lads, they’re really honest and they’ve started the season well.
“Defensively, they’ve been strong. But, on this occasion, offensively, we just couldn’t show those moments of quality to break through.
“We need to improve the squad. There was clarity around that for a long time.
“So, we see that. I think supporters see that. We certainly do in football. We need to improve.
“This is a performance club. This is a club that has to perform. And that starts on the field. You do that with getting the very best players you possibly can to allow you to perform.”
The champions are at home to Livingston on Saturday before the trip to Kazakhstan for Tuesday’s vitally important Euro decider and then it’s onto Ibrox the following Sunday for the first derby of the season.
