Bhoys have to master going the distance
GIVEN the puritanical creed Ronny Deila repeatedly preaches to his players, there is no little irony in the fact they appear to have picked up the kind of nasty habit you would least expect of a s quad playing at optimum fitness.
In years gone by, a stalemate in the closing stages of this fixture would have been the cue for some sharp blasts on the Parkhead attack bugle. Not now. Historically a side famed for late winners, this season Celtic generally get the job done early or not at all.
For fans frustrated that Aberdeen’s lead at the top of the table was only cut by a point, the sense that their side carry out their best work in the first half of their shift is becoming familiar.
They could have been four goals to the good by the interval here. Yet the longer the game wore on, the less they looked like scoring.
Deila would doubtless dispute his side are failing to finish games as strongly as they start them. However, of the 23 league goals his side have scored, only three have come in the final 20 minutes. Four of the eight they have conceded have also come in that final segment.
When the displays at home to Malmo and away to Ajax are factored in — also bright starts that faded badly — the need for Deila’s players to deliver over the course of 90 minutes, starting against Fenerbahce on Thursday, is underscored.
Saturday’s latest lop-sided affair might well have had far grimmer consequences for Celtic.
Having repeatedly f ailed to penetrate a Hearts outfit that was retreating towards its own goal by the minute, only Efe Ambrose’s willingness to take a red card for the team prevented Sam Nicholson going clear on goal in the final minute of added-on time.
Had the Nigerian not intervened, Robbie Neilson’s side could have pulled off the heist of this or any other season.
As impressive as the visiting rearguard were in the second period — Blazej Augustyn and Igor Rossi dealing with Celtic’s avalanche of cross balls superbly — they had counted themselves fortunate to still be in the game by half-time.
James Forrest struck the upright and drilled another just over, Tom Rogic pulled a fine chance the wrong side of the post while Leigh Griffiths headed just wide and then into Neil Alexander’s waiting arms. Celtic were impressive from middle to front but were helped by Hearts’ penchant for sloppiness.
Forrest’s individual battle with Callum Paterson was initially a mismatch. Already on a yellow card at the break, it was something of a surprise to see the full-back re-emerge.
Yet Neilson’s faith in him was well placed. Not only did he successfully walk the disciplinary tightrope, Celtic’s game plan of channelling vi r t ually everything t hrough Forrest down the left proved far too obvious. With Nicholson and Jamie Walker deployed to give their team-mate a hand, the winger was shackled.
The introduction of Nadir Ciftci for Rogic with 15 minutes left saw Celtic reshape to a conventional 4- 4- 2. Nir Bitton momentarily eluded his markers to head just over and volleyed wide late on while the increasingly frustrated Griffiths scarcely tested Alexander with a curling effort. Any hope of a breakthrough had long since evaporated by the time Ambrose walked.
‘We wanted three points and the way we played — especially in the first half — it’s unbelievable we didn’t win,’ said an exasperated Mikael Lustig. ‘In the second half they defended quite well, but in the first half we should have had four or five goals.
‘We played good football but you would rather play badly and get the three points.
‘We still need to stay positive. We did a lot of things well and need to take that into Fenerbahce.’
Deila will have been consoled by the fact his side played well enough — for a half anyway — to win this game comfortably.
Celtic will be welcoming a Fenerbahce side on Thursday who cannot contemplate defeat after a remarkable home loss to Molde on the opening night. The Turks also stumbled in the league yesterday, losing 3-2 at Besiktas.
‘The fact they lost the first group game means they need to attack and get three points,’ mused Lustig. ‘It’s going to be difficult but, while we’re a bit sad at drawing with Hearts, we need to lift ourselves.’