Former Celtic star Jackie McNamara has pointed out what he feels is the biggest quality costing Celtic in the Champions League.
Ange Postecoglou’s side crashed out of the competition on Tuesday following defeat to RB Leipzig, but have been in all four games to varying degrees and safe for some errant finishing across their Group F campaign, could still be in the mixer for qualification to the knockout phase.
McNamara feels that concentration at both ends of the pitch has deserted his old side at times, with the Hoops ruthlessly punished for individual errors in defence and not taking chances in attack.
Speaking exclusively to 67 Hail Hail, he said: “When you’re playing against better opposition, the biggest thing is the concentration at both ends, concentration when hitting the target, concentration when switching onto runners and watching the third-man run.
“Especially when they’re tired it seems to be a thing with the team at certain points because they’ve put so much work in to get themselves into certain positions to help each other to press, to harry and to be on the front foot.
“It’s very difficult to sustain that for ninety minutes when you’re closing down and pressing like that which is why you see Ange making so many changes around the hour mark every game.”
McNamara insisted that it’s a natural consequence of Postecoglou’s relentless style, but warned that it won’t just be teams at the elite level that will try and weather Celtic’s storm before trying to push for a result when the team tires.
He said: “At that level you’re bringing players on to try and maintain that ferocity and it’s difficult to maintain that at certain points you start to tire and they’ll pick you off, because they’ve got the quality, both in those on the park and those who came on
“I think that’s been evident in a few of the games later on in the matches and games that we haven’t done so well in.
“You’ll find teams sitting in, playing narrow and trying to get to that hour mark, then they’ll go for it.”
Postecoglou’s Celtic are yet to fully adapt to the elite level
McNamara played his parts in some famous nights under Martin O’Neill at Celtic and though football has changed considerably over the last decade, never mind since O’Neill was in the Paradise hotseat, certain fundamentals remain the same, and a drop in concentration will always be punished at football’s elite level.
Though Celtic’s style under Postecoglou isn’t likely to change, and neither it should, given the success it has brought the club in such a short space of time, the team can show visible fatigue around the hour mark in games, with subs often unable to maintain the level of intensity brought by those who start the game.
A drop in concentration is always likely to occur as the team tires, particularly in games played at a high tempo as is almost always the case in the Champions League, but after a long time outside of the competition, it’s something that the players can adapt to with time, and the manager can better accommodate with further backing.
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