Kolo checks in
Rodgers takes the positives from tough test against English champions ahead of gruelling journey, reports Alison McConnell Celtic 1 O’Connell 59 Leicester 1 Mahrez 46 Leicester win 6-5 on penalties
Toure arrives at Ross Hall for medical ahead of Celtic switch
CELTIC brought in veteran defender Kolo Toure yesterday on a one-year deal – but Brendan Rodgers remains in the hunt for a wildcard signing for Wednesday’s Uefa Champions League qualifier against Astana.
The 35-year-old Ivory Coast internationalist is expected to finalise his move to Celtic today, but he will not board the place to Kazakhstan, with Rodgers believing the game comes too soon for him.
That leaves Celtic eligible to bring in one player on a wildcard entry into the competition – but realistically the clock is ticking with the Parkhead side flying out tomorrow morning.
“I would think Wednesday would be too soon for him, I’d probably be looking more towards the weekend, give him some game time against Barcelona,” said Rodgers about Toure. “He’ll need to stay and work. All being well, he’ll get a good week’s training.”
The Celtic manager was coy on the likelihood of another signing before tomorrow’s flight. “We need to wait and see,” he said. “We’ve got some work going on behind the scenes so hopefully we can get some business done. It’s obviously going to be tight.”
However, Rodgers expects Toure to have a significant role this term. “I brought him into Liverpool to add experience and, particularly last season, he was a very important player for Jurgen [Klopp] towards the end of the season and played in the Europa League final,” he said.
“In the big games he was outstanding for me and he looks after himself. He’s a wonderful professional. With a lot of young players in our squad, he can help and be of great experience to Scott Brown, who is a wonderful leader.”
The Celtic skipper too was pleased with the signing. “He is 35 but he is still rapid and built like a brick s**thouse,” Brown said. “He is a great player who has been around. He is a leader on and off the field so he will bring great experience for us.”
THERE was incongruity at Celtic Park as yesterday’s ICC game against Leicester edged towards penalties. The loud, Yankee drawl echoing around the stadium as an advert for Uber aired on giant screens during the course of the game was at odds deep in the East End of Glasgow where the language may often be brash but rarely tends to the jingoistic.
There was, of course, the whole battle of Britain side-show going on which still seems a little at odds when the unfashionable Foxes are Barclays Premier League champions. Yet, enough has been written about their so-called fairytale of last season. Celtic’s mission is to try and follow in the footsteps of their own legends. Their ambitions are currently far more modest than those whose names continue to resonate as the greatest XI to wear the jerseys, but perhaps currently seem just as daunting.
The question now is not about scaling the heady heights of Europe, but simply negotiating some of its rougher terrain. The Parkhead side will board a jet on Monday morning as they head to Kazakhstan where the first leg of their UEFA Champions League third-round qualifier against Astana takes place on Wednesday.
“I have watched the games,” said Brendan Rodgers, in reference to Celtic’s previous game in Astana against Shakhter Karagandy on the same plastic pitch in 2013. “It looks a fast surface over there. I understand the difficulty of the game because of what they have done in the Champions League before but we are working hard and preparing well. We need to get better with the ball, that is for sure, but we are improving.
“I was really impressed with the mentality tonight. Okay, you want to be on the front foot but when you go behind you want to have the strength to get back in. It was a real good test. Players at that level, they come back fit. So the players have done really well.”
Still, though, Rodgers would have been forgiven for taking his eye off the ball yesterday as he continues to look for the wildcard that he can add to his squad given the dearth of defensive options available to him. Kristoffer Ajer did not feature against Leicester in a game settled on a penalty shootout, with James Forrest the only player out of 12 to miss.
The Swede, still only 17, will however be on tomorrow’s flight and could still be thrown in at the deep end given issues at the back. Jozo Simonivic and Dedryck Boyata remain sidelined although Mikael Lustig performed relatively well in a centre-half role yesterday.
“He [Ajer] broke a bone below his thumb so he goes in a plaster cast tomorrow. We are working to get something on his hand that will allow him to be involved.”
Eoghan O’Connell, a 20-year-old product of the youth academy, also fared not too badly with a goal and a relatively composed display.
“He’s a young player who has got a good idea of the game,” reflected the Celtic manager. “I’ve been really impressed with his understanding of the game. He wants to defend first and foremost but you can see he’s confident on the ball and his finish was great.
“He comes out, centre half, he’s seen it early and used the defender in front of him just to guide it. To beat young Schmeichel, who’s a wonderful keeper, from that dis- tance, was a really good finish.”
Stefan Johansen will also be expected to line up for that first leg tie on Wednesday, although Nir Bitton remains doubtful.
As for Leicester, Rodgers has hinted that their experience of lifting the trophy last season may see them puff out their chests a little this term when the English
I understand the difficulty of the game because of what they have done in the Champions League
Premiership gets underway again. “They are very humble,” said Rodgers. “They want to work and press. I am sure they will be happy to be written off. You saw that last season, they kept getting written off and it didn’t stop them. They have that experience now and will be difficult to beat next season.”
Rodgers’s own remit lies in making sure Celtic have something to puff their chests out about this term.
Celtic: Gordon (Fasan 62); Janko, Lustig (Ambrose 46), O’Connell; Roberts (Forrest 62), McGregor (Johansen 62), Brown (Allan 75), Armstrong (Rogic 75), Izaguirre; Griffiths (Christie 75), Dembele (Ciftci 62).
Leicester: Zieler (Schmeichel 46); Amartey, Hernandez (Okazaki 62), Morgan (Wasilewski 62), Chilwell; Mahrez (Fuchs 70), Mendy (Simpson 46), Drinkwater, Albrighton (Schlupp 46); Ulloa (Huth 62), Gray (Musa 46)