SCOTT BROWN was the first to admit Celtic players didn’t get too many passmarks in their 2-0 Europa League flop against Valencia at Parkhead tonight.
Brendan Rodgers’ men dithered through an error-strewn performance that gifted the advantage – as well as two goals – to the Spaniards.
The Hoops switched off at crucial moments in the last-32 encounter and were ruthlessly picked off.
Scott Bain, who was blameless, went into the tie without conceding a goal in his previous seven successive games in 2019. However, he was left hopelessly exposed by a faltering defence twice and on both occasions he was left to pick the ball out of the net.
It looks all over following a disastrous and inept display, but skipper Brown insisted the team would have real go at upsetting the form book at the Mestalla in the return leg a week tonight.
The 33-year-old midfielder, one of the many Celts who struggled for any sort of form against the Spaniards, said: “It was a tough night for us, to be perfectly honest.
“We tried to play out from the back and I don’t think our passing was was the best throughout the whole team.
OOPS…Ruben Sobrino scores the second goal past Scott Bain with Emilio Izaguirre and Jozo Simunovic looking on.
“But we have another opportunity over there and we go again. We’ll try to go there and play high up the park and force them into mistakes as they did tonight.
“Unfortunately, it just wasn’t to be for us on this occasion.
“They got their first goal and I think the heads go down a little bit, we don’t want the ball and there are a couple of misplaced passes.
“Everyone starts to get on top of each other and that’s when we have got to be brave and take the ball under pressure.
“In the first 15 minutes or so, we were brave, we got on the ball, on the front foot, put them under pressure. I think we have to do that over there.
“We’ve got nothing to lose. We’ve got to score goals and we need to take more of a chance.”
