‘TOO PASSIVE IN EVERYTHING,’ RODGERS LETS RIP

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BRENDAN RODGERS was left seething after witnessing a bewildering performance from his players that saw them twice blow the lead and then have to scramble for a 3-3 draw against Dundee at Dens Park.

The champions took a fifth-minute advantage through Luke McCowan, but, following a series of mishaps, were forced to rely on a stoppage-time leveller via an Arne Engels penalty-kick.

In between, Yang Hyun-jun scored only the second goal of his Hoops career to present the champions with the lead again after the interval before the defence capitulated in horrendous fashion to invite the home side back into the contest.

Oluwaseun Adewumi, the teenage Austrian winger on loan from Burnley, wiped out McCowan’s opener after the Tayside club had defended a corner-kick from the out-of-sorts Paulo Bernardo and, in exactly 18 seconds, raced to the other end of the pitch to stick the ball behind Kasper Schmeichel four minutes from the interval.

THE LOOK OF FRUSTRATION…a concerned Brendan Rodgers issues instructions from the touchline.

Cameron Carter-Vickers, who also struggled on occasions, inadvertently deflected the hosts’ second goal into his own net and then Auston Trusty failed to compete at a left-wing corner-kick that saw Aaron Donnelly thump a header past Schmeichel to give Tony Docherty’s men their third in a dramatic turnaround.

Two minutes into stoppage-time, Mo Sylla beat away a drive from Nicolas Kuhn with his hand for a stick-on spot-kick and Engels made an immaculate job of whipping in the equaliser.

The toing and froing in a game that could have been won inside half-an-hour – Adam Idah and Bernardo both missed sitters to add to McCowan’s goal – obviously had an impact on the clearly frustrated manager.

Rodgers said: “Disappointing result. In the first 40 minutes of the game, we should have been out of sight, we had some really good areas and some good positions.

“We made a good start, scored a good goal, wasted some other opportunities and then we conceded a disappointing goal just before half-time.

“And in the second-half, we were too passive. Too passive in our defending, in our duels, in EVERYTHING.

“And then we obviously proceed to concede two poor goals.

THE PERFECT START…Luke McCowan heads past former Dundee team-mate Trevor Carson to give Celtic a fifth-minute lead at Dens Park.

“The players kept going and had some other chances, we take the point, but we let a game get away from us when we were in a really, really good place and that’s obviously disappointing.”

The Irishman, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “We got off to the perfect start, but just didn’t capitalise on that, and didn’t take other opportunities that we had in the half.

“We then conceded a poor goal, we lost our concentration and organisation which meant they were then able to break out and the young player finishes it well.

“So, that gives them a little up going into the second-half, but still we get in front again and then I really expect us to go on really dominate the game from there.

“But we were too slack and too slow in our passing, miss a challenge on the side of the pitch when we’ve got to get there quicker to stop that and then we defend the corner with no aggression – so that’s what happens.”

HIGH JINX…Aaron Donnelly outjumps and outmuscles Auston Trusty to head in Dundee’s third goal.

USA international defender Trusty experienced a torrid evening on Tayside and looked nervy even in the early moments when he misjudged a long ball downfield and only the intervention of Carter-Vickers prevented Simon Murray from capitalising.

Rodgers did not miss the club’s £6million deadline-day recruit in his summing-up and, looking at the lamentable lack of a challenge for Dundee’s third goal, added: “You’ve got to deal with that better.

“You’ve got to stay on your feet, it’s as simple as that. You’re 6ft 4in, you have to deal with that better, but he knows and understands that.

“Across certain areas, we went a bit soft. We were very passive, especially second-half.

“It’s basic stuff. It’s a game we let get away from us when there was no need. Sometimes when you have dominance and when you’re creating it can make you a bit passive.

“We don’t normally do that but we certainly did on this occasion.

“So, it’s not what we expect when we consider how well we’ve defended and the aggression we’ve had but we fight till the end.

“A point isn’t what we want, but we have to take it and move on.”

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