MAGIC & TRAGIC
Sublime from Rogic and Edouard in early blitz then the defensive horrors return to haunt Celtic
NEIL LENNON has been looking for some signs, some spark, something to get Celtic going again.
Last night in the San Siro he got glimpses at one end of the pitch.
Magical moments from Tom Rogic and Odsonne Edouard showed the attacking unit still has prowess but sadly, more eye-watering looks of frustration towards the other, more weak goals lost which resulted in yet another morale-sapping defeat.
He got indecisive goalkeeping from Vasilis Barkas to let the home side back into it, mistakes at a leveller, no one making a challenge at Milan’s third. It was the same at the fourth, just too easy to score against.
From 2-0 up in 13 minutes courtesy of the Aussie and Frenchman to sunk with the goals against column in Group H now reading 17, it’s now 27 conceded overall in the last 11 games.
It was gut-wrenching for Celtic because the overall performance was at times better. But it feels right now as if every attack they face is going to result in a lost goal.
Of course it was a game that in terms of prize carried no significance. And in isolation, defeat to a highflying Milan side at their home is no cause for savage recrimination.
Nonetheless, it would have been nicer for Lennon to go into training this morning with something less worrying defensively to ponder again and something more tangible than another defeat to absorb from such a promising position.
He needs to find a way to lock the back door but then he knew that before he even went to Italy. Lennon’s detractors aren’t going away and the real scrutiny returns on Sunday.
Having received the support of club chiefs in the wake of the Ross County calamity, Lennon’s future prospects were not going to hinge on a loss to a side at the summit of Serie A.
But any slip against St Johnstone and the noise of discontent against the beleaguered boss will again reach ear-splitting decibels.
Last night his mind was whirring at the inability of his team to keep the ball out of their own net.
Regardless of having improved threat, the vulnerability remained.
In a remarkable first half hour, you got the perfect example of the good and bad right now at Celtic.
Lennon had opted for a back four. Jeremie Frimpong’s inclusion was as a wide attacker on the right. Kristoffer Ajer and Nir Bitton were the centrebacks with Christopher Jullien left out.
Celtic’s recent defending has been awful yet it was the illustrious hosts who produced the first gaffe to let Lennon’s men go in front.
Pressing from Edouard, Ryan Christie and Rogic forced a schoolboy slip by defender Rade Krunic which presented the Aussie with the ball at the edge of the box. There was much to be done but Rogic opened an angle and curled a lovely finish past keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
It would deservedly get better before typically it got worse. Rogic almost doubled his own tally with a cultured effort that sailed an inch off the target and chances kept coming.
Callum McGregor forced a sharp stop from Donnarumma but the midfielder really should have scored.
However, if that finish lacked a bit of finesse, Edouard’s did not soon afterwards as Celtic marched into a 2-0 lead. Christie was the architect with a beautifully-disguised reverse pass into the Frenchman after Rogic had nicked possession.
Edouard tamed the pass with a sweet first touch and his second was a delicious dink over the advancing Donnarumma. It was another example of a talent that has not been sighted enough this term.
Sadly Lennon had been here before. Celtic were two up in Lille and drew, one up in Prague and shipped four. No lead is safe and this one wasn’t. It was level in the blink of an eye.
Milan are enjoying their best start to a domestic term. They don’t need help to escape adversity. They got it anyway. Christie’s rash foul for a
booking that rules him out of next Thursday’s final group game against Lille wasn’t clever and neither was the puzzling effort from Barkas as Hakan Calhanoglu’s resultant freekick halved the deficit.
The Greek set up a wall to defend one side of the goal. He was due to cover the other but chose not to as the Turk’s effort arced behind him into the net. Not good enough.
The scoreboard had barely ticked over to 2-1 and it was rolling again.
Theo Hernandez crossed for Ante Rebic. Four defenders tried to snuff out the danger, none did, and Samu Castillejo cracked the striker’s backheel into the roof of the net. Barkas was shaken. His dismal clearance almost let Castillejo score again.
But McGregor had a strike saved and Rogic missed the chance to get Edouard away in stoppage time as a breathless period came to a close.
Milan roared straight out after the interval and moved in front four minutes into the second period. It was another bad concession.
Jens Petter Hauge’s weaving run was a joy to watch but it too easy from Lennon’s point of view to saunter inside Hatem Elhamed into the box before an accurate finish past Barkas.
At least Celtic didn’t buckle. They battled. Frimpong flashed just wide before Christie wass denied brilliantly by Donnarumma. rumma. His free-kick was soaringring to the top corner untill the Milan keeper, unlike Barkas arkas who stood still againstt his, launched himself full length to tip it wide.
But Milan had the e final say. Too easy for Hauge again, too easy for sub Brahim Diaz to flick a fourth. Celtic too easi ly breached. It can’t go on. Lennon needs to fix it. .