I expected Kairat to be fitter, which they were, but I didn’t expect them to be better organised, which they also were. Celtic’s first half performance was a passive throwback to the Horseshoe of Death we hoped to have moved on from. Nothing was reaching Adam Idah, who was as much a spectator as you and I were. James Forrest seemed to have the wrong boots on, while Daizen continued an unproductive run on the wing which reiterated his poor crossing.
One of my pet dislikes in managers is their refusal to drop expensive signings, so Brendan Rodgers deserves credit for his response at halftime. The team returned with his entire £32m of talent recruited last summer watching from the bench; Daizen in his favoured central position, with Yang and Forrest wide.
Yang (who knew!) made an instant impact which led to Celtic’s best chance of the game, when a Forrest shot hit the post, but Kairat soon settled. As the visitors tired, Celtic dominated more of possession, but this game had 0-0 written all over it.
Kairat are not a good team, it would be humiliating to exit the Champions League to them. Brendan is right, we can and should win the away leg. However, I do not encourage you to bet on that suggestion.
The decision to swap (it was) Kyogo for Jota was not everyone’s choice but had merit. Jota’s subsequent injury could have happened to either player. Selling Kuhn so early in this window, though, that’s an odd one which, contributed to the lack of creativity last night. The manager is the only source of information on squad development and he says little on the subject. He could shed some light on why Kuhn was allowed to leave so soon. Hmmm.
More needs to be spent and quickly, that’s for sure. Maybe if we had £64m of last summer’s signings on the bench everything would fine this morning! Surely that would be enough to overcome the newbie managing Kairat?
When the draw was made I wrote, “No excuses”. I didn’t want to hear them on the radio going home last night. It’s not a good look.
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The Barrowfield project, what’s the latest with that? Complete and utter silence from the club regards this also.
The communication from the club (unless they want to extract cash from you) is a disgrace.
This team will struggle to win the SPFL, let alone qualify from the Champions League group stages, should we win next week.
Jota and Kuhn have not been replaced, Jamsie and Yang are not 90 min danger men.
Maeda will never be a winger, maybe a runner off the big guy in a 4-4-2 team or simply CF.
Idah is not proving himself nor is Engles, both way overpriced.
Ralston gives his heart but is simply not Eurooean standard.
I will never understand the total negativity some on this blog have against Liam Scales. He does twice the tackling and blocking that CV does, his passing and ball carrying is far superior to CV or Trusty. Indeed, during CV’s absence last season, he marshalled the whole defence.
I guess like the boys of the anti-Forest brigade, he will always be a whipping boy.
With due credit to Jerry Taylor on Twitter
“You can’t compete in Europe when you sell your best attackers and replace them with rumours”
“The team returned with his entire £32m of talent recruited last summer watching from the bench”.
P67, who negotiated the fees for Idah, Trusty, Engels? Beating BR with this stick whilst the board has final sign-off. Again you’re nothing but a gaslighter. At least your blog has a few more visitors today.
Think I read from David Low that 20% of the shareholders probably don’t know they have them,no register it seems, that being the case DD owns around 50% of the known shares with his shareholding then the corporate block line up behind him, bang, nothing will happen without his approval ever, spare me the best interests of the club we’re being mothballed asset stripped at times and expected to compete at the highest levels, Ashley without the shops, that is this plcs model.
Burnley78 on 21st August 2025 12:26 pm
If people can’t see Rodger’s pathetic game since he arrived then god help them though.
We had a winning team playing great football and now we have a shambles.
The difference is at Leicester he got them relegated after being a top tier team and nearly bankrupt them and they are still recovering.
Here it won’t be allowed.
================================================================
Perhaps part of reason we now have a shambles now is that some of players from the winning team have left and have not been replaced with adequate quality.
There may of course be additional reasons
KINGLUBO on 21st August 2025 1:51 pm
Same page 100%
67ECW
Brendan Rodgers must shoulder some blame for last night’s formation and this awful system ,and if we all cast our minds back how many times have the players been awful to watch ,so nothing is new ,and personally the sooner Desmond ,and a few others are replaced ,me I’m interested in one football team and that is Celtic ,Rangers are irrelevant to me .
Well sell Trusty Engels and idah get what we can get, are these worse than Ajeti Barkas Bolingoli who cost us more than 13m plus wages? Not to mention the dross that has been bought for a couple of million here and there in large blocks. Sign good players who can play for Celtic now, theyre needed now .
Section111 on 21st August 2025 2:00 pm
You are right to highlight the commentary from Paul67
Personally I have no gripe with Paul67 he is entitled to his view
However I have long believed that its not (or not only) Paul67s view but that of PL
If that is the case it’s a much bigger worry for Brendan
67ECW
It’s unforgiveable that the club finds itself in this situation at a crucial stage in the season . Weeks and months to prepare for 180 minutes of football with a massive cash reward waiting .
Yet we take to the field with the weakest team for a long time , made worse by a lethargic, hapless performance in what used to be known as ‘fortress Parkhead’ .
The club is being taken in the wrong direction The manager and fans want one thing , The board and DD clearly want another .
Burnley78 on 21st August 2025 12:26 pm
If people can’t see Rodger’s pathetic game since he arrived then god help them though.
OK B78
Do expand on the above?
What is his game?
When exactly did it start.
Don’t worry bout God, I don’t follow the above.
It just don’t make sense,why would we appoint someone if that’s the case.
The only one who have dissented BRs operational use and management have been yourself and P67 with all this nonsense bout a transfer w
(shved)pathway being ripped up.
noted – both you and p67 do not support our manager.you will be reminded of your sliverourous attitude with future management
Go on what is it you feel bout BR? It has not changed since his appointment
HH
dessybhoy on 21st August 2025 2:08 pm
Think I read from David Low that 20% of the shareholders probably don’t know they have them,no register it seems, that being the case DD owns around 50% of the known shares with his shareholding then the corporate block line up behind him, bang, nothing will happen without his approval ever, spare me the best interests of the club we’re being mothballed asset stripped at times and expected to compete at the highest levels, Ashley without the shops, that is this plcs model.
Hi Dessybhoy
Yep bout 22% of shares are not updated/maintained.
The vote defaults to the board
Leaves 78% fully maintained shares in play.
Weight DDs holding in 78% context and it is a majority,his ba’
HH
The three amigos agenda.
Engels, Idah, Trusty – All plucked off the data base, sourced, scouted, tracked, analysed, priced, paid for, and signed up by Brendan Rodgers of course….. ahem 🫢
BTW he did none of the above for Kuhn, Tierney or Jota.
An excuse, posing as a reason why BR finds himself so far backed by cheaper options. It’s not a justification for why we have a £25M income and a £3M spend in this window, and nobody knows how much Engels, Idah, Trusty are worth, even transfermarket.com no less, is a guess.
All three have made significant contributions, some supporters didn’t like Nicolas Kuhn either.
The genie is out of the bottle they patched him in the transfer window.
That’s another fine mess Laurel & Hardy have gotten us into.
AT
Yes his ba as you say, however there must be a way of pulling the minority shareholders together, having a reason that would unite everyone that’s the hard bit.
Greenpinata on 21st August 2025 1:26 pm
I am on record here as wanting BR back. I supported him then and I still support him.
He is the best fit manager available to us, both on and off the park.
Yes we need replacements in, however last night’s performance was down to the players, the managerial team and the coaching staff.
HH.
—–
Yes indeedy GP. Br said he’d readily work with what he has. But did the team readily work as instructed ??
P67 as for your barb: ‘He could shed some light on why Kuhn was allowed to leave so soon. Hmmm…’
You jest sir ! It’s never a great idea to keep a sullen player who has downed tools months prior after not getting the Jan move he coveted, around and stinking the dressing room out with his half-hearted demeanour. Postecoglu (remember him?) said if someone doesn;t want to be here and be part of the project, they can leave. Nicky boy was biding time, treading water and working his ticket to become Clooney’s neighbour (not that he can be blamed for swapping Glasgow toon for Como lakeside, like).
On the other hand, it may be possible our Conservative Custodians have got an even better manager lined up who won’t be so profligate with transfer dosh ;)
The accountants who run our club have done a good job as far as the balance sheet is concerned. But that is not such a great achievement when you consider the weakness of our Scottish competitors. Apart from last season, with the new CL format, we have been very poor in Europe and can thank the Huns (the “coefficient monkeys”) for giving us direct entry into the CL for a few seasons – that will now end and we will face more than one qualifying round.
Celtic need a director of football on the board, someone who will sit down with the manager at the end of a season and identify what players we need for the following season. This year this would have meant replacing Kyogo, Jota and Kuhn as a minimum and selling and replacing Maeda who refused to sign a new contract.
But yet again we have not prepared for the new season. Yes, Brendan is to blame for insisting on buying Idah, whose lack of technique should have ruled him out joining Celtic. But a director of football worth his salt would have told BR to move him on or loan him out.
Now it looks like the accountants are giving BR the middle finger and saying We paid 9 million for Idah so don’t expect us to spend any more on a striker (apart from a few projects).
BR is not above criticism but It’s hard to believe that this board is not sabotaging him.
We can still qualify (start the likes of Engels and McCowan who actually want to play) but playing in the CL with non-scoring strikers will be a disaster.
AN TEARMANN on 21ST AUGUST 2025 2:18 PM
Brendan Rodgers ate his hamster ?🐹
Does anyone still think it was a good idea to let Greg Taylor leave? Paul67 said Greg and Tony should leave so that young players could be developed for their positions. So last night we would have had Donovan replacing AJ and Inamura coming on for KT.
Unlike Greg Taylor, our star player is not capable of playing for 90 minutes. And we have no replacement for him.
A football club with no plan or strategy, and more money than they know what to do with,a Board running us like a Bowling Club committee.
Just watch the chunk of money that goes to Rachel Reeves in corporation tax while we have huge needs, and no it doesn’t pay even a week of the costs of a hospital or any other public service.
so,
as is my want, I watched the whole game again this morning, followed by Bodo Glimt.
At the game from the high high corner of 444 you get a great angle looking down on the length of the pitch,
They were very very well drilled, and looked fitter and dare i say the dreaded “hungrier” team.
Us by contrast, we didnt run out of ideas, we just tried the right things but in the wrong order as Eric would say.
Overhit passes, layoffs behind or too far in front, knockdowns nearly always backwards, overlpas not completed, and a raft of poor performances.
Poor Adam looks like he is in the wrong movie. Daizen is back to the road runner, all effort with dreadful control, and running the ball out.
BTW, it is a myth that he plays cf for Japan, In the most recent world cup campaign, he played 11 times, 9 at left wing.
Our highest value paid squad ever should be able to beat this team still. All our internationalists, some on the bench, and everything the manager tried just didnt come off. Daizen has regressed, the one on ones, Ibrox, Hampden, LAST NIGHT, DEARIE ME.
And the trow ins, why cant we just go up the line, into the corners with someone going to the touchline, its bloody easy.
As to the sack the board during and after the game, big deal, it is just noise to the owners.
A person wo is in the know told me last night two deasl incoming, both held up by the selling clubs, make of it wahtever.
Onto Bodo, buy the whole squad, that was a demolishion of Strum Graz,
Good to see the bloggers going hysterical again, very funny, We are apethetic now, see here is twent minute read of why i am so disgruntled.
Very good sky clipp with Paul John Dykes doing the rounds, in summary, and the bottom line, you cant sack this board, they own it, DD will decide end of story.
We are a small club in behaviour and once again this has shown to be the case. It happens more often than not and we continue to sign players that will never be good enough for our side.
The season ticket money is paid and the HCTS takes care of another 40000 people having to pay for games they often dont want to go to.
The Europa is our level as a club (behaviour) but all we hear is blame, blame, blame.
As a fan I want to watch the best players we can afford to buy on the pitch. The food and all the other rubbish that others care about doesn’t matter to me. How good the team is does.
Coaches cam develop players but you need a good blend. We get it wrong so often but due to our wealth in Scotland we continue to dominate our league.
That starting line up wasn’t bad but there is no adequate back up. The front three was a joke.
We have been here time and time again and Paul you’ve always got an agenda. I think youve only like one manager in 25 years.
We dont deserve to be in the CL but we may get there. It could be painful but at least invest. Words dont matter but actions do.
Sign quality that will actually enhance the side.
Last summer Brendan got backed, we were having our best season in many years at home and abroad. Then we sell Kyogo and don’t bring in a replacement. Our treble was scuppered and now this summer we sell Kuhn and don’t bring in a replacement.
It’s almost like things were going too well and someone had to start spiking things.
I have a mate who has spent most of the last year in Antwerp.
He reports that there are mixed views on Balikwisha.
Many will be delighted to see him go .
The Go Ahead trainer said that Breuer wasn’t ready for the physicality of British football.
Paul Tisdale needs questioned.
TT
Donovan ?..Wrong game watched.
Kühn clearly had/has an attitude problem. His body language made that clear. We needed to get rid of him.
“We always try to come out of a Transfer Window stronger than we were….”
Soundbite nonsense…..we must be due another strip coming out?
Why is everyone intent on putting hmmmmm at the end of posts? I thought I had walked into a Julian Clary tribute.
Even with a couple of additions, this squad will get a few doings in the CL,if we qualify, the manager said in February the squad needed overhauled,not happened
onenightinlisbon on 21st August 2025 12:45 pm
IMHO, both have failed in their leadership duties this month.
B2B – What has the manager done in order to branded a failure this month?
——
Cheers ONIL.
Fair question. Relatively simple answer.
He has not shown sufficient leadership.
If i may, caveats out of the way first.
I think Brendan Rodgers is a very good manager.
Weighing up pros and cons … I was pleased when he came back.
I know (without really knowing) he has a very, very difficult job.
I wouldn’t want it. I couldn’t do it.
I’ve surmised that expectations he may very well have reasonably had (I dont know) about the level of financial capacity available to develop the squad … have not materialised.
If so, any disappointment he feels is totally understandable.
Back to the leadership bit …
True leadership requires one to suck it up.
(Regardless of what “it” is & the size of “it”)
Focus on the objective.
Disrespectful term alert …
… Brendan’s Uriah Heep routine two weeks ago was incendiary.
“(Smile, chuckle), clearly I’m not doing a good enough job persuading the board”
Followed by a predictable narrative about not wanting to talk about signings.
The inference? “it’s no ma blame”
When people deploy intellectual energy to blame avoidance?
The focus on the objective is reduced and the outcome put at greater risk (there was already risk present)
The biggest impact of this approach?
What it says to the players “in the building”.
This group of players is not good enough to be competitive in a Champions league group campaign.
No argument from anyone.
But that can be left unsaid publicly and treated between 28 August and 01 September.
Instead, it has become a focal point and distraction away from an objective this group of players ABSOLUTELY should be capable of achieving.
Qualification by beating Almaty.
Shutting down distractions? Leadership again.
When tasked with getting something done people deliver one of two things.
Outcomes or excuses.
Brendan’s public stance has given the players an excuse to fail.
“The squad isn’t good enough. Out you go lads and perform”
(Not a direct quote).
I know there are contributing factors.
I know that others have let the side down.
They’ve failed in their leadership too.
But right now that group of players have been given the job. There is no plan B.
I’ll give the last word to Irving Berlin.
“There’s no people like show people, they smile when they are low”
Applies equally to leaders.
Hopefully our players will perform mucb better next week without our “support” on their nervy backs.
AK 0 – Celtic 2
GLENOWEN on 21ST AUGUST 2025 1:59 PM
With due credit to Jerry Taylor on Twitter
“You can’t compete in Europe when you sell your best attackers and replace them with rumours”
————.
Well played 👏👏👏
Gerrybhoy
Surely the same logic applies to Maeda.
We’re still strong favourites to qualify.
BET365 odds for next Tuesday.
Kairat 4/1
Draw 29/10
Celtic 8/13
PLB @ 1:06pm …
Really good post about the board’s behaviour.
Respect.
Intellect and intellectual flexibility are two very different things.
They could have read the room, played it cute (without worrying about any of that slippery slope guff) …
… and signed ONE measly winger.
They didn’t. They need to own that.
An Dún on 21st August 2025 3:14 pm
both players wanted away,
should we have kept underperforming kyogo ? some believe we woudl have got passed Munich with him, and won a treble, pure conjecture, because Maizen had his best ever returns when moved to the front and scored goals i though he was just incapable of.
after munich i am of the belief Nic was tapped up, he didnt perform as well as before, scoring in that game convinced himself he could go to a higher level, it got in his head, but he still scored in the championshi winning game, but then had a poor cup final,
some belive we should have told him, you can leave till we go through the playoffs, you are playing for that move. but an unhappy player is not going to try anyways.
Just my opinions.
BTW, an amazing turnout last night,
Did anybody count the empty seats and blame the Celtic PLC for negligence?