Bouncy balls, points gaps & Honda Civics – inside Celtic’s dismal day

A five-point gap, fan protests, Honda Civics, and bouncer balls.

As Celtic’s stuttering season wore on, Celtic suffered their first defeat at Dens Park since 1988, which was a chaotic and potentially ominous afternoon from beginning to end.

Before half-time, the hosts were 2-0 up thanks to a towering header from Clark Robertson and a Cameron Carter-Vickers own goal, which together managed to hold off the defending champions throughout.

Following Derek McInnes’ side’s 3-0 victory at Rugby Park on Saturday, Brendan Rodgers’ side are five points clear of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts. They have now lost six games already this season.

Since being eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich in February, Celtic haven’t won 13 of their 29 games, with a 55% win rate.

Before a ball was kicked in anger, Celtic’s miserable afternoon was already predetermined when sections of their sizable traveling support immediately halted play by dumping bouncer balls and tennis balls onto the field.

The club’s board was reportedly being replaced, and banners were unfurled with red circles and red lines across the faces of Peter Lawwell, the club’s chairman, and Christopher McKay, the club’s chairman.

Former Motherwell captain Stephen Craigan told Sportsound, “The players on the pitch are affected by the negative vibes.”

“I believe there is a cloud over the club that is causing some concern for the players.”

They are not at their best, according to the statement, “There is obviously some sort of confidence problem, or it’s just the noise outside.”

After the 2-0 defeat, Rodgers, however, refused to use the protest as an justification.

He said, “We had 90-odd minutes to be better after that.” The protest does not involve defending a corner, disqualifying the player, or losing the ball on the counter.

Rodgers’ criticism of the club’s transfer business and perceived lack of quality has been a central theme throughout the Celtic campaign.

Along with Jota’s long-term injury absence, he has frequently been questioned and pointed out the goals that have been taken out of his squad as a result of the sales of Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn in January.

After Kazakh champions Kairat Almaty had already dumped Rodgers’ attacking options, Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha made the switch, and Kelechi Iheanacho joined on a free after the window was closed.

Rodgers appeared to criticize the quality of his squad after failing to fire once more in the attack.

“The summer has already brought us a lot of firepower and goals out of the team,” he continued.

There’s no way you’ll enter a race and say, “I want you to drive it like a Ferrari,” when given the keys to a Honda Civic. It won’t occur, of course.

He asserts that finding “solutions” to their goalscoring issues, whether through personnel or formation changes, is up to him.

I must find the solutions until something changes, Rodgers said.

Because, as I previously stated, the team needs to find a way to improve, goals, speed, and everything.

Due to Rodgers’ preference to play on the left flank, both Tounekti and Balikwisha prefer to play, forcing Daizen Maeda to play an unfamiliar role while he recovers from a broken leg.

Former Scotland striker Steven Thompson reported to Sportsound that “they have somehow managed to regress and have a weaker squad than they did last year.”

There isn’t time for Celtic to heal from their wounds as their six matches in the next three weeks, which include a Premier League semi-final defeat to Rangers.

Celtic travel to Parkhead on Thursday for their first Europa League game, before returning to action on Sunday with a mouthwatering clash with Hearts at Tynecastle.

A win for the hosts would put them eight points clear of the top flight in Scotland, a notion that would have been absurd just a few months ago. It would be difficult to find two clubs with more contrasting moods right now.

Celtic must start producing wins and performances if they are to lift the depressing atmosphere surrounding the club. There is still a lot of football left this season.

Former Aberdeen and Scotland defender Willie Miller added that “Celtic are not a club that is moving together right now.”

The boardroom appears reluctant to spend the funds they have, and the manager is undoubtedly unhappy, they say. “They’re still not sure about Brendan’s future.

Thompson, a former Scotland international, agreed with that sentiment.

It becomes simple and easy for you to play football on a team that is consistently winning, he said.

You continue to the pitch knowing that we will win this game. Negativism is starting to spread like wildfire, and there are beginnings of wallowing in.

Tam: Ignorant! Not a single player would be remiss. The board’s greed has destroyed everything we’ve built over the years. They ought to shamefully hang their heads. Fans, who are the real Celts, have been ignored by a board without any discernment. What kind of funding are these people in need of? I’m sick of Greed!