Brendan Rodgers explains the costly turning point in Feyenoord defeat

Brendan Rodgers put Celtic’s much criticised defensive wall that crumbled for Feyenoord’s opening goal last night down to ‘players making decisions in-game’.

While annoying at the time conceding a free kick 30 yards from goal in first half stoppage time shouldn’t have been a defining moment in the Champions League group opener.

With every player back around the penalty box it should have been a case of defending the second ball to see the visitors through until half time on level terms.

Joe Hart positioned himself towards his right hand post with a four man wall positioned to cover the other side of his goal.

Four turned to three when Kyogo Furuhashi turned side on while his team-mates jumped in unison allowing Calvin Stengs free kick to head goalwards with Hart scrambling unsuccessfully across goal with the ball ending up in the net.

It was a sickening loss, speaking to The Sun, Rodgers said:

We were playing a team doing very well and scoring a lot of goals but we more than matched them first half.

We’re disappointed with the first goal. We made a decision to adjust the wall in-game and it maybe cost us.

I don’t mind players making decisions in-game, if it works. We were still in the game but in the second half I was really disappointed with the sendings off.

Celtic’s next four Champions League ties will probably be tougher than last night with little sign that the club is moving in the right direction to become competitive at a level where basic errors are fully punished.