Midway through the first half of last night’s Champions League defeat from RB Leipzig there was a perfect summary of Celtic’s group to date.
Sead Haksabanovic almost scored with a fierce near post shot, Matt O’Riley hit the post then Greg Taylor followed up by hitting the bar.
All three were hard luck stories, making the most of opportunities, not getting the rub of the green or the break of the ball.
But then in the 28th minute a chance fell to Kyogo Furuhashi, Haksabanovic delivered the perfect cross, the striker was in the centre of the penalty box but critically he failed to hit the target and the chance was gone.
Sutton said (1 minute 50 seconds):
Got to score, he has to score. You cannot keep missing.
When chances like that are missed, when the header isn’t on target it causes alarm and gives opponents hope and belief that they can ride the storm out.
Ange Postecoglou has the opposite problem to deal with, finding a way for his players to take their chances with the conversion rate in the Champions League worryingly low.
Unfortunately Coaching standards at Celtic are not what they should be and that has been the case for a while now. It isn’t Rocket Science as they say. But it is basic and when it isn’t there and other things which have to be based on it fall down. Just like putting good chances away. It is to do with football craft. And that could have been the difference between Celtic winning and losing last night. Red Bull didn’t take two promptings to put the ball in the net. They know how to do it and they did it. Celtic, on the other hand, didn’t!
Don’t know whose in charge of sports science at the club but they should be sacked. The fitness of the players is a disgrace.