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Scotsman
18 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Celtic fans in mutiny amid 'sack the board' chants as one player hits new low and key injury concern
Anarchy in stands as Champions League hopes left hanging in balance Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ibrox is not the repository for all the dismay in Glasgow when it comes to the city's two biggest football clubs. Celtic are a long way from Rangers' level of discord but they are also a long way from qualifying for the Champions League group stage, in every sense. A 7,000 mile round trip to Almaty, 250 miles from the Chinese border, awaits. It has come down to a one-match shootout for a place in the league stage after this goalless draw amid mutinous scenes at Parkhead. Like Rangers, Celtic might wonder if they are even ready for such elite company. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The outcome rendered redundant Brendan Rodgers' noble attempts to skirt around the issue of Celtic's transfer policy. This spoke very bluntly indeed about the need for reinforcements, and not just because of the terrible sight of Alistair Johnston falling to the turf clutching the back of his leg ten minutes before half time. The Canadian right-back seems likely to be out for the near future. Anthony Ralston took his place and looks set for an extended period of action. Celtic's Daizen Maeda looks dejected after missing a late chance during the goalless draw with Kairat Almaty. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group Flashbacks to bad old days Also loud and clear was the unhappiness of the Celtic fans. 'Sack the board, sack the board!' rang out from the 67th minute onwards as the home team struggled to make any kind of real inroads on a team who are supposed to be travel weary after recent trips to Finland and Slovakia as well as Glasgow. It must have felt like the bad old days for Celtic great Paul McStay, who sat alongside Roy Aitken in the main stand. Rebelling against the board seemed like a weekly occurrence back then, when, despite his cultured presence in midfield, Celtic seemed constantly in crisis. Peter Lawwell, the chairman, got it in the neck here, as did chief executive Michael Nicholson. While Rodgers has been cautious with what he's said when asked specifically about transfers, he has made pointed observations. His comments about understudy left-back Hayato Inamura not yet being up to standard to be included in the European squad left few in doubt about his unhappiness about his resources, particularly when so much money is perceived to be just sitting in the bank. It's there, waiting to be spent. It's not a case of the board praying their ticket comes up in the Paradise Windfall, which, incidentally, was drawn at half-time here by Brian McClair. 'One of Celtic's finest ever goalscorers!' was how he was introduced. What they would do for a McClair now. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Celtic's Callum McGregor in action during the Champions League play-off first leg against Kairat Almaty. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Number 9s catch eye - for different reasons Adam Idah's troubles at Celtic dipped to a new low here when he was replaced at half-time by Hyunjun Yang after a fairly anonymous performance, although there were some mitigating factors. His team failing to get the ball to him was one. Nevertheless, it was hard to avoid noting that Yang did more in his first 60 seconds on the pitch than Idah had managed in the entire half. Yang almost immediately set up James Forrest, whose shot was tipped onto the post by goalkeeper Alexandr Zarutskiy. With Daizen Maeda now playing through the middle, it was already much better from Celtic after a curiously listless opening 45 minutes. Never mind Idah, it was the other No. 9 who caught the eye – and not just because of his red boots. While much was made of Rangers manager Russell Martin's decision to throw in a player who had just turned 19 for his debut the previous evening against Club Brugge, Kairat manager Rafael Urazabakhtin thought nothing about fielding Dastan Satpayev, who turned 17 earlier this month. And why would he need to deliberate playing him when the player has already sealed a move to Chelsea next summer. Enjoy him while you can. Celtic would prefer for him to join Chelsea in this transfer window, ideally before the teams meet again next week. He was a constant thorn in Celtic's side and seemed to pop up everywhere. He showed Kieran Tierney a clean pair of heels before crossing in the run-up to skipper Aleksandr Martynovich bundling in after ten minutes. Fortunately for Celtic, the scorer had already strayed offside. Kairat had come close to opening the scoring just two minutes in when Edmilson's header at the back post deflected off Tierney for a corner. It could well have sneaked in. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Celtic's Alistair Johnston is stretchered off the pitch with an injury and replaced by Anthony Ralston. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group As well as Satpayev, Edmilson, their big striker, was a constant menace. The Brazilian nearly scored one of the great European goals at Parkhead after 57 minutes when he latched onto a mistake from Cameron Carter-Vickers and tried his luck from all of 40 yards. Kasper Schmeichel was happy to see the ball land on the roof of his net. Celtic were meant to roll over the top of the visitors from Kazakhstan. However, Kairat, who are 20 games into their league season, showed they are in the groove, even if their last league game saw them throw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 against Yelimay Semey. They seemed doubly determined to avoid any such mishaps here. They barely allowed Celtic a sniff in the opening half and although the hosts started the second half brightly, a series of stoppages, including a particularly long one when Zarutskiy, the Kairat 'keeper, stayed down on the turf after challenging Liam Scales at a header, helped disrupt the little momentum they managed.
The Herald Scotland
18 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Celtic left with plenty to do after goalless stalemate with Kairat Almaty
However, with Yang Hyun-jun on for Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda moving to centre forward at the start of the second half, Celtic stepped up the pace and piled on the pressure in the later stages but could not find a way through despite 10 added minutes. After Saturday's home William Hill Premiership game against Livingston, Celtic will get ready for the return leg in Kazakhstan next Tuesday night which involves a 7,000-mile round trip knowing qualification requires perhaps more work than many anticipated. Much of the build-up to the game was centred on if and when Rodgers would add to his squad for the European campaign. There were no late signings, but Rodgers made six changes to his side, with Kasper Schmeichel, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Reo Hatate, Benjamin Nygren and Idah returning and Viljami Sinisalo, Dane Murray, Auston Trusty, Arne Engels, Luke McCowan and Johnny Kenny dropping out. Rafael Urazbakhtin stressed his side were playing for the glory of Kazakhstan and the Kairat head coach was pinning a lot of hopes on 17-year-old Chelsea-bound Dastan Satpayev. Celtic's Alistair Johnston is placed on to a stretcher by medical staff (Andrew Milligan/PA) The visitors settled early and in the 11th minute captain Aleksandr Martynovich had the ball in the Hoops net from close range but was offside. With Satpayev influential, Kairat attacked fluidly and at pace on the counter, dampening the mood of the expectant home support. In the 32nd minute, Celtic defender Alastair Johnston pulled up with what looked like a hamstring injury as he backtracked and was taken from the field on a stretcher, replaced by Anthony Ralston. Moments later, Kairat goalkeeper Alexandr Zarutskiy saved from Maeda when Celtic at last got through, but at the other end Ofri Arad's powerful drive flew just wide of Schmeichel's post. Temirlan Anarbekov wore a protective cap after sustaining a knock (Andrew Milligan/PA) Yang for Idah for the start of the second period and Maeda moving central was no surprise and within a minute Yang set up James Forrest, whose shot was touched onto a post and then gathered by Zarutskiy. In the 58th minute, after some sloppiness by Carter-Vickers in the Hoops defence, Brazilian striker Edmilson tried a speculative shot from 40 yards and it landed on the roof of Schmeichel's goal. Celtic's corner count mounted but to no avail and Hoops fans – perhaps also frustrated by a lack of transfer activity – began singing 'sack the board' as the game moved into the final quarter. In the 75th minute, after sustaining an injury defending a corner, Zarutskiy had to be replaced by understudy Temirlan Anarbekov and he had his head bandaged and covered by a protective cap after taking a knock. The visitors, though, were wasting time at every opportunity and 10 added minutes gave Celtic scope, but Maeda spurned a gift when he ran through alone and could only manage a tame shot which was easily saved by Anarbekov and there were boos at the end from irate supporters.
Scottish Sun
18 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Brendan Rodgers responds to irate Celtic fans' anti-board chants & says ‘it's normally the manager who gets the sack'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers admitted he could understand fan anger after his side's 0-0 draw against Kairat. Hoops supporters loudly chanted 'sack the board' as they watched their team labour against the Kazakh side. 2 Brendan Rodgers has called for more signings Credit: Alamy 2 Celtic fans vented their fury towards the club's board Credit: TNT Sports It's far from the result Celtic would've wanted as they were held to the goalless draw. It now means they face a gruelling 7,000-mile round trip to Almaty in Kazakhstan next week needing a result to qualify for the Champions League. Celtic fans - and Rodgers - haven't hidden their frustration at the club's transfer business this summer. Many supporters feel the club should have spent more and added more quality to a team that has lost the likes of Kyogo, Nicolas Kuhn and Matt O'Riley during the past year. Those fan frustrations boiled over as Celtic failed to break down a stubborn Kairat sides. Chants of 'sack the board' burst into life mid way through the second half at Parkhead, with separate X-rated chants also aimed at club chiefs Peter Lawwell and Michael Nicholson. Speaking after the game, Rodgers admitted the result left a lot to be desired. And quizzed once again on recruitment, he reiterated his desire for reinforcements. Asked if the current squad is enough quality-wise to compete in the Champions League proper, Rodgers told TNT Sports: "No, I've said it clear. I can't keep going on about it every press conference I have, it's so, so clear what this team needs. Celtic hero Neil Lennon spotted singing and dancing to Oasis song at Murrayfield gig "Nights like that do (highlight it). "It's always going to, each level you go through - this is a good team that understands the game, they're talented players and they're used to winning. "We know what we have to improve." Rodgers was then directly quizzed on the fans' anti-board chants. He replied: "Listen, I can only concentrate on the team that we have currently. "I can't get too distracted about what I don't have." The Hoops boss was further pressed and asked if he could understand the fans' fury. To that, Rodgers said: "Yeah, absolutely. But I also understand when it's 'sack the board,' I don't know any board who gets sacked. "It's normally the manager at any club, it's the manager who gets the sack, not the board. "But listen we have to go away and analyse tonight and see where we could be better and like i said, the guys who are out there, they're giving their all and giving everything. "But like we've said many times, in order to progress at this level and into European football, we need to have more. It's as simple as that. "We won't have that for Tuesday, we get concentration now for Saturday, it's a big game against Livingston." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
