CHRIS SUTTON has taken aim at the Celtic manager and the board after Celtic’s humbling to Valencia on Thursday night and admits something needs to change.
The former Celtic striker believes it wasn’t just the result which was disappointing but more so the manner of the defeat. The bhoys looked out of ideas as they continually tried to play from the back, even after Valencia had sussed them and squeezed the game to give the players very little time on the ball in the final third.
The Spaniards were happy to let Celtic pass across their backline while they covered the attacking areas leaving players isolated and the bhoys unable to find teammates in forward positions.
Sutton believes it’s got to the point where Brendan Rodgers MUST change his tact in Europe if he wants to get results. Too many times under the Irishman, the players have been at sea in Europe when they come up against top opposition. Valencia weren’t even the best of the best, but we played in such a way we rarely troubled them.
“Take Thursday, for example. Celtic started well, moved it well, but there was a 10-minute period when Scott Brown started giving the ball away, and it spread through team-mates like wildfire.
“At that point, there is nothing wrong with clipping a few balls up the pitch to try to turn opposition. You need a breather. To take some pressure off yourself to regain composure even just for five minutes.
“Rodgers has done a magnificent job in coaching and educating his players, but you can do only do so much. If you have Callum McGregor’s technical ability to add to that coaching, you cope at the higher level. But there are those who can’t reach that standard.
“And, when it’s too many of them, it can’t work. Instead of accepting that, Celtic just kept inviting Valencia to enjoy themselves.
In Celtic land, things in Europe have became marooned after having being just ran aground. Massive changes like Sutty has questioned, are just too frightening for some of the fans. And also for investors and suits. If the cheeseboard invested a quarter of what they made wisely (including wages saved, or to be paid) along with the small amount of home grown talent, in the last few years. Celtic could maybe be Europa league contenders for the last eight or First round round runners up in the Champions league. Its never worked out consistantly for anybody before St Brendan and co or Mon in the last thirty years. So the suits just want the league flag and a short run in Any European competion. Other dreams can come along when merited. As usual. All part of being a European small fish in a ever increasing pond like countless others.