'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Celtics European adventure is over for another season after a lackluster showing against Spanish side Valencia. Kevin Gameiro's second-half goal was enough to confirm a 10-man Celtic's fate, as they lost 1-0 in a night that saw January recruit Jeremy Toljan to see red for two Yellow cards in the first half.
Truth be told, the tie was nearly all but over after the first leg at Celtic Park, which saw them trail their opponents 2-0 going into their away leg and needing a top display to claw back the deficit. But here is 3 reasons, why Celtic couldn't manage the comeback and will be left watching the rest of the Europa League at home.
#1 Lack of a Recognized Goal Threat
Celtic are toothless up front at the moment. With Moussa Dembele leaving in the summer there was a big hole to be filled in not just the goals scored, but the overall presence of a threat in these big games. They didn't even really replace him when you consider their summer signing of Edouard, who was already at the club on loan last season too.
Going into the season with only two recognized strikers, namely Edouard and Griffiths was a huge gamble and one that hasn't paid off with the former's injuries and the latter's off-field issues leaving them needing to go out and bring players in during the January window.
January signings Burke and Weah have started their Celtic careers fairly well so far. But, neither of them are really out and out strikers, so Burke who has been a winger for almost all of his career so far, is nowadays is being shoehorned into sometimes being a lone center forward.
Celtic can get away with playing these guys up front in the SPFL, as they will dominate and create plenty of chances for them. But if they want to go any further in Europe than the Round of 32 of the Europa League then they will need to bolster their squad with more bodies that are natural at center forward to capitalize on chances as well as overall play in the final third.
#2 Slow Build Up and Possession Football Isn't Working in Europe
Celtic always enjoy the lions' share of possession in their SPFL matches. They dominate most games and can hold the ball and wait for openings to show up, mostly due to the way other teams set up and also because of the talent they have in comparison to their opponents.
So it does makes sense, that they feel comfortable playing short passes and doing the same when it comes to big games in Europe. But they have to realize, that they are now coming up against sides that have a massive financial gulf over them, similar to what they normally have over their domestic rivals.
The quality of these sides off the ball is much greater than what they are used to domestically. For that reason, when they do win the ball they need to break into an attack far quicker than they are currently.
Celtic only played 1 through ball the entire night compared to Valencia's 6 and weren't caught offside once the entire night. Now on the surface, no offsides seem good enough, but partner the two stats together and you can see that Celtic are never looking to get in behind quickly when they recover the ball. Too often they pass backward and between the center-halves and allow their opposition to regroup and gather their shape again.
It makes it all the more surprising when you consider the pace they have in their squad, Forrest, Sinclair, Burke, Hayes, Weah, even the likes of Edouard and McGregor have a quick turn without being lightning. So to not utilize this more often just seems a waste.
The philosophy quite clearly is not working when it comes to crunch ties. They aren't creating many chances through it and it's becoming a worry under Brendan Rodgers. It doesn't seem like there's much in the way of a plan B, unless it consists of doing Plan A better.
#3 Switching Off Defensively
Celtic could have come away tonight with a 0-0 and no one would have begrudged them for it. They defended well both individually and as a team, for the most part of the game. But at this level, you need to concentrate for the entirety of a match otherwise you will get punished.
The goal Valencia scored to win the match on the night came from a simple header back into the 6-yard box for Kevin Gameiro to knock it home via his knee. But when you rewatch the goal, you can see a couple of mistakes appearing in Celtic's backline.
Johnny Hayes, who admittedly is a winger filling in at left back, switches off to the man running off him at the back post and can't get anywhere near him again to even challenge him for the header. Then both center-halves in Boyata and Simunovic completely forget to mark Gameiro as he ghosts between the pair to score.
Kevin Gameiro is the third highest goal scorer in the Europa League over the last 9 seasons and the 10th in the history of the competition. He's won the competition 4 out of the last 5 years. It is criminal for not one of the two center-halves to pick him up at the edge of the 6-yard box.
