Ange’s Bhoys wide open to sucker punch
MORE in hope than expectation, Callum McGregor raised his arm and appealed for offside as the Celtic net rippled for a second time.
But it was all in vain and he knew it. McGregor has been Celtic’s masked man in recent weeks but it was this unlikely band of Norwegian superheroes who stunned Celtic Park into silence.
Whether this victory tops the 6-1 thrashing of Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the group stage, only they will know.
But there is no question that Kjetil Knutsen and his players have now taken complete control of this Europa Conference League tie.
This was a night when Celtic’s glass jaw was once again brutally exposed at European level, something which should make the rest of Scottish football take note.
Since the turn of the year, Ange Postecoglou’s free-flowing and free-scoring side have been blowing teams away domestically, burying them under a flurry of punches.
But here was evidence that they remain susceptible to a well-placed haymaker. Plainly, for all their attacking verve, they remain a long way short of being the finished article.
In conceding 15 times across six games in the group stage of the Europa League, Postecoglou’s side shipped more goals than any other team in the competition.
On the evidence of what we saw last night, things aren’t likely to improve on the European scene any time soon.
Greg Taylor had a torrid evening at left-back. Next to him at left-sided centre-back was Carl Starfelt, but he didn’t cover himself in glory either.
Bodo sliced Celtic apart for their opening two goals, shredding a defensive unit which continues to cause panic among supporters.
Postecoglou was asked about Celtic’s record in the build-up to this match and he made it clear that he felt there were improvements.
‘I’d like to think we are in a better place than we were at the beginning of our campaign,’ he said.
That is undoubtedly true of Celtic’s attacking play and their fluency in the final third. Keeping the door shut at the other end, however, remains a huge problem in games where the opposition has the bravery to go toe-to-toe with Celtic.
And Bodo certainly did that. Their midfield was a hive of energy, led by their outstanding captain Ulrik Saltnes.
Ola Solbakken was also a standout on the left side of their attack, and the way he skinned Taylor for the second goal was both brilliant and embarrassing in equal measure. This is where Celtic have a problem in Europe. Their defence becomes exposed due to the way their midfield is set up.
In deploying a 4-3-3, with a three-man midfield of McGregor, Tom Rogic and Matt O’Riley, Postecoglou has three creative ball-players.
But there is nothing in the way of a defensive screen. The only way that works is if you possess two top quality centre-backs to keep the door shut. Celtic, plainly, don’t have that.
Look at all the best exponents of 4-3-3 over the past decade or so. Liverpool have Fabinho in the holding role, Manchester City had Fernandinho, while Barcelona had Sergio Busquets. It’s an incredibly difficult system to play in the absence of a player who can screen the defence and mop up any danger.
It’s football without a safety net. That’s fine when you’re putting four goals past the Raith Rovers and Motherwells of this world. Not so much when you meet an opponent with skill, composure and no shortage of attacking talent. Bodo scored over 100 goals in winning their maiden league title in 2020. Now we know why.
If this was them only half-fit and under-cooked, then God only knows what they might produce when they get up to full speed.
It was a tough night for Starfelt and his partner at centre-back, Cameron Carter-Vickers, although they remain Postecoglou’s first-choice pairing.
Carter-Vickers’ season began in this competition with Spurs back in October, where they lost to Portuguese minnows Pacos de Ferreira. Bodo are no minnows. On this evidence, no one will particularly fancy playing Knutsen’s impressive side. Slick in everything they did, they caused Celtic problems pretty much every time they went forward.
Celtic were too open. Not for the first time this season, their defence was ransacked. That remains the key issue which Postecoglou must address if this team are to make inroads in Europe.