Any doubts about the scale of the task that Brendan Rodgers has taken on can be dismissed after the Irishman watched Celtic lose 1-0 to Lincoln Red Imps in his competitive debut.
Lee Cascairo was the home hero with the only goal of the game early in the second half and although Celtic will be expected to comfortably go through on aggregate the alarm bells were evident tonight.
Relying on the players that wilted in both cup semi-finals last season and failed to win any of six Europa League ties was going to be a calculated risk- if Celtic are to get close to the group stage of the Champions League drastic surgery is required throughout the team.
Against a team of semi-pro’s (at best) big hitters like Scott Brown, Efe Ambrose and Nir Bitton were found wanting leaving Rodgers with some uncomfortable decisions to make early in his Celtic reign.
The 3G pitch was awkward, the temperature was sky high but there was a lack of conviction and spirit among the Celtic XI that confirmed that the malaise at the club didn’t end when Ronny Deila departed..
There weren’t many surprises in Rodgers first competitive team selection with Saidy Janko selected at right back, Tom Rogic joining Bitton and Brown in midfield with Ryan Christie supporting the strike pairing of Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele.
Celtic moved straight into attack from the kick off but after ten minutes Ambrose picked up a yellow card for a foul on Lee Cascairo.
Despite the early possession there was a lack of clear cut chances around the Lincoln goal with Griffiths looking uncomfortable with a wide role on the right supporting birthday bhoy Dembele.
There was 30 minutes on the clock when Lincoln got their first sight of goal but Craig Gordon dealt comfortably with Liam Walker’s 25 yard shot.
Two minutes later Dembele did put the ball in the net from a Brown free kick but the effort was chalked off with the home team awarded a free kick.
Rogic provided Celtic’s first shot on target in the 37th minute after exchanging passes with Christie but his effort was easily held.
Disaster struck three minutes into the second half when Ambrose was caught out by a long ball with Cascairo getting in behind the Celtic defence to fire Lincoln into the lead.
That goal gave the home side a surge in confidence with Antonio Calderon and Walker missing decent chances shortly after the goal with the Celtic defence not at the races.
Rodgers made a double substitution in the 58th minute when Stuart Armstrong and James Forrest replaced Christie and Rogic with Griffiths hitting the bar with a shot just after the double switch.
There was little sign of a Celtic backlash after going behind with the two side’s well matched although Griffiths did hit the bar for a second time in the 78th minute from a free kick.
Goalkeeper Raul Navas pulled off a great close range save from substitute Nadir Ciftci in the 85th minute but the most frightening aspect of the night was the fact that the scoreline could have been worse that 1-0 to the Champions of Gibraltar.Â
CELTIC: Gordon; Janko, Ambrose, Sviatchenko, Tierney; Brown, Bitton; Rogic (Armstrong 58), Christie (Forrest 58); Dembele (Ciftci 73), Griffiths.
Celtic subs: Fasan, Lustig, McGregor, Roberts.