STUDYING FOR HIS AJERS
LEAGUE COUNTDOWN Kris will pore over his performance against Thistle to ensure he is error-free against Zenit
KRISTOFFER AJER reckons sifting through video nasties can prevent any X-rated moments against Zenit St Petersburg.
The Norwegian kid studies his every move on film to try to iron out errors and work on weaknesses.
Ajer didn’t waste time celebrating the weekend win over Partick Thistle. He sped straight out of Celtic Park to head home for the settee and bang on the DVD of the 3-2 win to filter through the bad bits and cut them out.
At 19, the youngster believes self-analysis is critical. Ajer wants to cement his place in the backline and knows that identifying the areas of his game that need work is crucial to his progression and development.
He said: “I do that for every game. That’s how I work. I look at the details, I look at the goals. I look at when I’m with the ball to find easier solutions next time and that doesn’t change from game to game.
“That’s a big part of the game. You must watch it and learn from your mistakes and what you did well too.
“I go back and forth to learn things then I have a chat with the staff on the Monday when we meet again. It helps me a lot.”
Ajer did the same thing earlier in the season after the chastening Champions League qualifying night when he and his team-mates diced with danger before getting through despite losing four goals.
He said: “Astana was quite a frantic night. I think we played on a really good day for them as well. You have to say that they played a really good game.
“We conceded a few bad goals from our point of view but it was a night where we still went through and that was the most important thing for me.
“After that I learned so much by looking at the clips with the staff and the gaffer. I saw what I could have done better individually and what we could have done better together as a team.”
Ajer’s attention to detail is admirable and in some sense necessary ahead of Thursday’s clash with the Russians.
Brendan Rodgers’s team warmed up for Zenit by making their way their way into the last eight of the Scottish Cup at the expense of battling Partick Thistle.
However, lapses in defence made the afternoon more fraught than it needed to be. Jozo Simunovic and not Ajer was the individual involved and the one who didn’t need TV evidence to find where his faults lay.
The Bosnian boobed with a dreadful backpass for Kris Doolan to net then a slack pass and weak response allowed Connor Sammon to score.
Shipping two goals when twice a couple in front and in control of the contest was a big cause for concern and Ajer admitted there is work needing to be done to solidify the line. He said: “It was a hectic game. Thistle pressed us well throughout the whole game.
“Even when we went 2-0 up they did really well to come back and never gave us a second on the ball. They played really well.
“We started really well, we were on the front foot and we scored two brilliant goals from James Forrest.
“Then they got their first goal and it changed the game. We don’t do anything different. We respect all the teams and play the same way.
“We know our jobs. Teams set up really well against us and they go 100 per cent. It’s a big game for them to play against Celtic and we know that so we’re up for each task.
“I’ve been here for almost two years and I’ve played with so many defenders that it’s helped me a lot.
“We talk a lot together so it doesn’t change things too much. Everyone knows the job when they come in, so it’s not too different.
“We defend as a team every time and we know in this league they can punish you for mistakes. We don’t want to make mistakes.”
Ajer recovered from an Achilles injury to play against Thistle but said: “I’ve taken some painkillers so I feel okay now. It was a bruised bone in the heel so it’s fine.
“Zenit are a good team and we’re really looking forward to that challenge on Thursday.
“We haven’t watched too much of them. We take one game at a time but I will look at all the attacking players from Zenit and how they play over the next few days. “We respect them a lot. We’ve seen a lot of them and we’ll see a lot more of them in the coming days so we’ll be ready for that game.
“I feel when I play for Celtic here I’m 100 per cent focused in every single game.
“For me, being 19, every game is big and it won’t make a change who we play against or what day it is.
“I’ll always try to do my best and I think the gaffer has a squad here that really knows their job.
“Everyone is ready when they’re called upon. If I get the chance on Thursday I will be ready.”
KRISTOFFER AJER