Celtic Football Club is preparing to lose close to £20 million worth of revenue. That defeat added to their recent Champions League disappointment, which sees them relegated to the Europa League. During Brendan Rodgers’ disastrous reign before his sacking in February, they were awful in their two legs against Kairat Almaty. They dropped the ball on major opportunities and were underwhelming in their efforts. After the defeats, Rodgers sharply criticized and lamented the attacking play on his squad, stressing a need for offensive replacements.
Having returned to Celtic in 2023 amid much fanfare, Rodgers now finds himself under pressure as the attention turns to the underwhelming display of his squad. Given the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, questions have increased about the club’s future sporting direction and potential financial stability.
A Disappointing Performance
Celtic’s matches against Kairat Almaty were an uncomfortable watch, a regurgitation of a toothless attack failing to find the target. Yet over 210 minutes of football, they produced so little—not a single clear-cut chance. Our squad created most of the really dangerous chances, mostly in the second half and in the extra period. Sadly, they were unable to convert any of those opportunities into an actual goal. Daizen Maeda notably missed a glorious chance in the 86th minute, blazing over the crossbar when it seemed easier to score.
The game quickly became a test of Celtic’s creativity in the face of Kairat’s physical, organized defense. The visitors’ goalkeeper, Temirlan Anarbekov, saved three penalties from Celtic players, including efforts from Adam Idah and Luke McCowan, further compounding the team’s woes.
“It’s backfired dramatically and they pay the price. They’ve been poor over 210 minutes of football; created very little. Kairat were robust, made it difficult and they’ve got their reward. It’s a real sobering moment for Celtic.” – Laura Hunter
Transfer Strategy Under Scrutiny
Brendan Rodgers has long been unequivocal about his desire for attacking reinforcements, going back to July. Sadly, the club struggled to pull off many key targets over the summer’s window. The board members took the controversial decision to postpone any transfer activity until the club qualified for the Champions League. This denial is a consequence of that decision. The decision has since become “laughable,” as Celtic now find themselves stuck in the Europa League.
Rodgers admitted that the writing seemed on the wall for his team and suggested there could be ramifications following their recent defeats. Mark Wilson pointed out that the young squad’s inexperience could be a factor in the team’s struggles.
“It’s tough to explain, there will be a lot of questions and fallout with a narrative of a lack of investment. There’s a young right-back that finishes the game, a young centre-back, a centre-back at left-back.” – Mark Wilson
In his post-match interview, Brendan Rodgers stated that the club needs to assess where it is and where it wants to go.
“We all know where we want to get to. We showed last year the strides I felt we took but you have to build on that. The last thing you want to do in football is manufacture your own stress but all we can do now is look at where we’re at as a football club and decide where we want to go.” – Brendan Rodgers
Future Implications for Celtic
On the financial front, without Celtic now safely back down in the Europa League, things do not look good. Failure to qualify for the Champions League would result in a potential £20 million blow. Any substantial shortfall would be very impactful to their operations and future investments in player acquisitions. The club’s currency, in terms of on-field performance, is arguably at its lowest since Rodgers’ re-arrival in 2023.
As Celtic processes this loss, questions hang in the air about their approach in the future. The need for urgent action is evident! Fans and analysts alike are calling for drastic changes to improve on-field performance while securing sustainable, long-term success.
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