Brendan Rodgers has acknowledged the stats that are killing Celtic’s European prospects.
Over the last three midweeks the hoops have lost goals that are easily preventable, goals that don’t require a defensive mastermind to solve.
Twice AEK Athens cut down their left flank, squared into the penalty box with unchallenged shots flying into the Celtic net.
AEK and Suduva didn’t have to work too hard to score from set-pieces, the Greek side needed two headers to find the net from a free kick, unchallenged Suduva headed home an equaliser with no jostling, wrestling or challenging going on.
Rodgers has a week to find new recruits or to continue working with players whose morale is disappearing on a game by game basis, no one in the side is in better form than they finished last season.
Addressing the issues the Celtic boss told The Sun: “In our last round we had four shots on our target over two games which showed we were the better team and we conceded three goals.
“It has to stop. That is something we have to work very hard on and analyse. There has to be a greater desire not to concede.
“I think from the set piece situations that we are conceding from, it’s something really that is probably the easiest thing to defend in the game.
“There is no real movement. In that goal there was no block, no dummy runs to create space, it was a basic ball into the box.
“So you have to deal with that and you have to have a mentality not to concede. Too often over this early part of the season we’ve conceded.
“So like I say, we need to go away, work on it, work even harder on it, the players will take responsibility, the coaches will take responsibility, and we have to improve that side of it.”
With Jozo Simunovic joining the injured list Rodgers may turn to Stephen Welsh to make his competitive debut against Hamilton Accies on Sunday.
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