Ferencvaros manager Sergiy Rebrov has admitted that he was stunned that Celtic featured no strikers last night.
Rebrov watched on as his Ferencvaros side overcame the Hoops with a 2-1 success to qualify for the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. The result was even more shocking considering it came at Parkhead.
However, there was extreme pessimism as soon as the Celtic teamsheet was announced, as there were no strikers in the starting XI. Patryk Klimala and Albian Ajeti, meanwhile, were left sitting on the bench.
And Rebrov has stated that he was taken aback by Neil Lennon’s decision not to play a centre-forward.
As quoted by the Glasgow Times, Rebrov said: “I was really surprised they didn’t play with a recognised striker, because they had two strikers on the bench.
“Their plan was to find fast players between the lines. Most of the time we were defending, but we didn’t give Celtic too many chances. They had some problems in defence. We tried to go for counter attacks. Tokmac is very fast and he used it for the winning goal.
“We played against the strongest team we have played in Europe. Maybe they didn’t shoot enough. I’m very glad for my players. We tried to play to our plan. The early goal helped us.”
Ferencvaros defeat is a new low
As much as this will be a result compared with the likes of Cluj and Copenhagen, it is in fact a new low.
Ferencvaros were a poor outfit. They pitched up at Parkhead with some decent pace on the counter and not a lot else. Tokmac Nguen and Somalia certainly caused bother with their running ability, but technically this was a below-par outfit.
Cluj and Copenhagen both boast better quality players and were a much better side than the one we faced last night. That’s what makes the result against the Hungarians all the more disappointing.
It’s even more flabbergasting when you consider this is a Celtic side who put Cluj (in the Europa League), Lazio, AIK, and Rennes to the sword last season. All of those sides offered more than Ferencvaros.
We’ve just witnessed a massive setback for the club, and how we move forward now is anyone’s guess. Much work still needs done on the back-line, but there are no signs that we’re closing in on any additions across the defence just yet.
For now, we’re left licking our wounds, and those wounds are pretty deep this time around.
In other news, John Hartson has launched a defiant defence of Celtic boss Neil Lennon.
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