Celtic were blown away by Roma in an embarrassing Europa League defeat on Thursday night.
Three first half goals from the Italian side left the Bhoys with a mountain to climb as Wilfried Nancy felt the wrath of the supporters.
Arne Engels’ missed penalty kick in first-half stoppage time set the tone for the second 45 as Kelechi Iheanacho also had a goal ruled out for offside.
It wasn’t pretty at all, and 67 Hail Hail has picked out five things we have learned from that loss.
What needs to change after that defeat?
Wilfried Nancy needs to change his system for the short-term
Nancy has been very clear in saying that he wants to play a 3-4-3 formation, but it is also obvious that he does not have the players for that right now.
It looked marginally better after the break, but by then it was just damaged limitation.
Until he has his full squad available, and the chance to recruit in January, there needs to be a short-term fix that can deliver the Hoops results, but also instil his principles.
Kelechi Iheanacho must start the next game
If there was one thing to be positive about, it was the performance of Iheanacho.
Having been on the treatment table for some time, the forward made his return after being introduced as a second-half substitute.
He made an instant impact, missing a chance before having his goal ruled out for offside. Iheanacho could also be seen regularly encouraging his teammates to work harder – the exact sort of attitude you want to see from your talisman, and should start on Sunday.
Celtic Park atmosphere isn’t the same without the Green Brigade
When your side is 3-0 down before the half-time whistle, it is no surprise to hear the atmosphere go flat. However, it was noticeable before the goals flew in.
Since the Green Brigade’s ban was extended indefinitely, you could hear a pin drop inside the ground.
At a time where a new manager is finding it difficult, getting behind him is the key and aside from the justifiable chants calling for the board to go, there wasn’t much else.
A solution needs to be found by the club so that the core support can return and help galvanise the players.
Celtic players should take a look at themselves
Defeat doesn’t look good for anyone right now and while Nancy rightfully has to shoulder some of the blame, he can’t take it all.
Those players were running through brick walls for Martin O’Neill over a week ago, and now they look like they couldn’t care less.
Their work ethic has come into question on a couple of occasions this season as the Hoops have limped over the line in games.
Playing for Celtic is an honour and those who step out onto the pitch need to wake up and realise that.
January can’t come soon enough
How many points do you think Celtic need to qualify for the Europa League knockout phase?
The sooner the transfer window opens, the better.
Celtic’s squad is in dire need of a fresh injection of ideas and some players need to be moved on.
Wing backs are a must, as well as a centre-back, defensive-minded midfielder and striker if the Hoops are really serious about competing on all fronts.
New additions will give everyone around the club a lift, but this relies on the board actually spending some cash.
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