One glaring stat is from the Hoops' Euro campaign this season - 17 goals lost!!!!!!
Four goals lost tonight and one must scrutinise this latest defensive lapse and what Lennon must do to rectify it.
1. Elhamed was a defensive liability tonight (not the first time in some of Celtic's Euro matches!) and this game result should've been closer than the score line suggests! 2. Celtic need a new goalkeeper asap and this match finally confirms that first choice goalie, Barkas, is a dud and does nothing to impress in big matches - no presence in his pen box, I can't recall a save of any great quality in a long time, the guy is an average goalie in a team that needs a top quality goalie. I suggest Lennon "pulls out all the stops" to sign Southampton's Fraser Forster in January - absolutely imperative!
Looking at the content of the match, Celtic really should've been ahead by at least four goals after the first 15 mins as Milan's defence was "run ragged" and literally "all over the place" before their players finally settled. Indeed, 0-2 was an insult to the positive attacking moves of the Hoops esp when they were in total control of this match! And then certain players really "let the side down" AGAIN in allowing this Serie A side to "gain a foothold" in the game. Christie???? Why on earth make a risky tackle just outside the Celtic pen box at 0-2???? Poor discipline personified!! And then the Celtic goalie does his usual lame duck pose in f###### up and looking like a numpty AGAIN - no "bail out" from this goalie who looks like he doesn't wanna be there anyway!!! This ultimately caused an element of panic to a defence which must still be mentally fragile and a second goal lost within 5 mins - awful!!
One must note this was a "dead rubber" for Celtic but the team really needed to start looking like a balanced side again as well as being defensively sound v very good Euro opponents. IMO most of the team actually played reasonably well but it has become very clear that certain players really "let the side down", probs that Lennon must redress pronto. I reckon the manager must somehow progress through this December period with a string of wins, starting with Saint Johnstone on Sunday. Hold out until January and press for transfer funds to deal with the problem areas in this team. The game on Sunday becomes massive for Celtic v stuffy opponents who Celtic would normally beat fairly comfortably. Not so this time with no crowd and confidence fairly low due to a record two wins in the past ten consecutives fixtures. They need to win matches again and start to charge up the Scot Prem, no excuses any more although, as previously stated, there are certain players who shouldn't be there!
Four goals lost tonight and one must scrutinise this latest defensive lapse and what Lennon must do to rectify it.
1. Elhamed was a defensive liability tonight (not the first time in some of Celtic's Euro matches!) and this game result should've been closer than the score line suggests! 2. Celtic need a new goalkeeper asap and this match finally confirms that first choice goalie, Barkas, is a dud and does nothing to impress in big matches - no presence in his pen box, I can't recall a save of any great quality in a long time, the guy is an average goalie in a team that needs a top quality goalie. I suggest Lennon "pulls out all the stops" to sign Southampton's Fraser Forster in January - absolutely imperative!
Looking at the content of the match, Celtic really should've been ahead by at least four goals after the first 15 mins as Milan's defence was "run ragged" and literally "all over the place" before their players finally settled. Indeed, 0-2 was an insult to the positive attacking moves of the Hoops esp when they were in total control of this match! And then certain players really "let the side down" AGAIN in allowing this Serie A side to "gain a foothold" in the game. Christie???? Why on earth make a risky tackle just outside the Celtic pen box at 0-2???? Poor discipline personified!! And then the Celtic goalie does his usual lame duck pose in f###### up and looking like a numpty AGAIN - no "bail out" from this goalie who looks like he doesn't wanna be there anyway!!! This ultimately caused an element of panic to a defence which must still be mentally fragile and a second goal lost within 5 mins - awful!!
One must note this was a "dead rubber" for Celtic but the team really needed to start looking like a balanced side again as well as being defensively sound v very good Euro opponents. IMO most of the team actually played reasonably well but it has become very clear that certain players really "let the side down", probs that Lennon must redress pronto. I reckon the manager must somehow progress through this December period with a string of wins, starting with Saint Johnstone on Sunday. Hold out until January and press for transfer funds to deal with the problem areas in this team. The game on Sunday becomes massive for Celtic v stuffy opponents who Celtic would normally beat fairly comfortably. Not so this time with no crowd and confidence fairly low due to a record two wins in the past ten consecutives fixtures. They need to win matches again and start to charge up the Scot Prem, no excuses any more although, as previously stated, there are certain players who shouldn't be there!