Bitton revels in defensive role and pays credit to boss
By MARK WILSON
THE embrace after the final whistle said it all. Connected by a handshake and with matching grins of delight, Nir Bitton and Brendan Rodgers created a picture of success.
Little more than 24 hours earlier, Rodgers felt moved to deny suggestions that fielding the Israeli midfielder as an auxiliary centre-back represented a risk to Celtic’s Champions League ambitions. Some risk.
Fans may have fretted beforehand but Bitton displayed all the assuredness his manager had expected as a crushing 5-0 first-leg win over Astana was assembled.
Anyone dropped into Parkhead without prior knowledge would have struggled to twig which player was out of position.
For that, Bitton places credit firmly with his boss. Barring a calamity almost beyond imagination, the group stage now beckons for both men.
It begs the question of whether the 25-year-old would feel comfortable reprising his defensive deployment against Europe’s elite?
Bitton is refusing to look too far ahead, despite the huge advantage Celtic hold. His faith in Rodgers is such, however, that he would be ready to answer any call.
‘I am just trying to do my best every game I play,’ said Bitton. ‘It is quite a new role for me but as soon as the gaffer gives me the shout to play, I will do my best.
‘It is not about me. It is about Celtic as a team. When we defend well, everyone looks better.
‘When the gaffer believes in you and gives you the confidence then you want to show him that you deserve it.
‘I got that confidence from him in the last few weeks and I am happy we could keep a clean sheet and take a good result into the away leg.’
Bitton’s precise passing from the back actually added another weapon to Celtic’s armoury. He wore a cloak of composure, even if something more complex was going on underneath.
‘Maybe I didn’t show any nerves to the fans but there was a little bit,’ said Bitton. ‘These kind of matches are always nervy. They are pressure games and you need to be at your best.
‘I am just happy we had a good game collectively.
‘This was an amazing result and, hopefully, we can now be part of the Champions League this season.
‘You try to adapt yourself to play another position. Of course, Jozo (Simunovic), Mikael (Lustig) and KT (Kieran Tierney) are trying to talk with me all the time because it is quite a new role for me.
‘I watched some clips of the (Astana) striker in recent days and tried to understand his movement, where he wanted the ball. That helped.
‘You just have to try to do your best. Hopefully what I did was enough.’
A six-hour flight to Kazakhstan was expected to be a tiring prelude to a stressful evening. Instead, Celtic will travel with as much comfort as they could ever have expected.
Astana left Glasgow looking like a broken team, conceding twice in the final 11 minutes.
‘After the third goal we took control of the game,’ said Bitton. ‘We pressed them well, took the possession and took them out of the game.
‘I think Griff (Leigh Griffiths) had an amazing game. Sincy (Scott Sinclair) got two goals and Jamesy (James Forrest) was great, too.
‘It starts from the top. When you press them well and take the energy out of the other team then you get a reward for that. I’m really happy that we managed to score five goals and keep a clean sheet.
‘You can compare this situation with 12 months ago. I’ve said before that we are a much better team now. I won’t say much better individuals, but we are a much better team.
‘We understand more what the gaffer wants from us, his philosophy and everything he is trying to do.’
The scale of the win over Astana may heighten hopes of Celtic making a more significant impact on the group stage, where they drew three and lost three of their six games last season. Bitton, though, remains cautious. ‘It is too early,’ he said. ‘First, we need to go to the Champions League. If we get there, we need to see the draw.
‘But we have said before that one thing we want to achieve this season is to go to the Champions League. As soon as we get there, we want to go as far as we can. ‘We need to go to Kazakhstan and play our best. Then we will see. ‘I think everyone saw who the better team was in the first leg and 5-0 should be enough. ‘The most important thing was to keep a clean sheet. Now we will try to get an away goal to finish it off.’