Last night’s news that Cameron Carter-Vickers did not travel with the Celtic team to Bergamo shocked some fans and has given rise to the usual doom-mongering about how this will impact us. But to be honest, I think the overall effect will be minimal. I don’t believe Carter-Vickers’ presence would have drastically changed the outcome, nor do I think his absence will either.
Let’s consider what the best-case scenario might have been—if Carter-Vickers had travelled and started. The reality is that he wouldn’t have been fully fit for a match of this magnitude. He’s been out for weeks and only recently returned to training.
There was no best case scenario in which he’d have ever been 100% match-ready for this game, regardless of what some might have hoped for.
It’s undeniably a big blow to lose both him and Greg Taylor for the same game. It’s troubling, yes, but if the alternative was playing a half-fit Carter-Vickers, I’d rather he sat this one out. There’s no advantage to fielding a player who isn’t sharp enough, especially when we’ve got other centre-backs who are match-ready.
This match isn’t going to hinge on personnel alone.
The strategy is what really matters here. I don’t believe a half-fit Carter-Vickers, trying to chase forwards who are exploiting acres of space, would have helped us. The key is to set up in a way that doesn’t allow that kind of space in the first place. If we can manage that, we have a chance to get something from the match. If we don’t, if we give Atalanta the kind of room that Dortmund and Aberdeen had, we’ll be in trouble no matter who plays.
For over a year now, I’ve been saying that relying too heavily on Carter-Vickers is a dangerous game. Injuries like this have happened too often for my liking, and it’s the main reason why he hasn’t been the subject of a big-money move to England.
We have to move past this idea of being overly dependent on one player at the back. If that means we need to spend more money in January, so be it.
Don’t get me wrong—I love Carter-Vickers. When he’s fit, he’s the best central defender in Scotland by a mile and has been since his debut. But injuries have sidelined him at critical moments, and no matter how good a player is, they’re of no use to us sitting in the stands. We need to start addressing this issue head-on because it’s staring us in the face.
On the surface of it, the manager had a tough decision to make, but in reality, it was the only decision he could make. We have a packed schedule ahead, and as we’ve said from the start, the home games in this competition are the ones that really matter. Any risk we take now with Carter-Vickers or any other half-fit player puts those matches—and our progress in this competition—in jeopardy. So, while some may find this decision controversial, I don’t.
It would have been painful for Rodgers. He would’ve wanted both Carter-Vickers and Greg Taylor available, and if not both he’d have been desperate to get one of them back into the side, but this is the hand he’s been dealt. Taking a risk on Carter-Vickers would have been unnecessary, and he’s done the right thing.
There should be no second-guessing this decision.
If the game doesn’t go our way, there will be plenty of other things to criticise Rodgers for, but this won’t be one of them. He got this call absolutely right.
Agree CCV would probably need 2 or 3 games tae get him up tae scratch. Tho regardless, BR needs tae go intae this one with a more pragmatic approach. We have tae be far more compact, play a more defensive roll even if it means stifling the game and if poss, try and create a few chances of our own. If we try and go toe tae toe again, we can expect another dortmund.
Totally agree James – it’s too big a risk for the rest of the season so it was the only decision BR could make. However, let’s not kid ourselves – him not playing in European games is disastrous for our chances of progress overall (our record with him in the team vs him not in the team is huge).
Not only is CCV the best defender in Scotland (by a country mile) but he is the SOLE reason for our defensive records being so good when he plays. It’s not only his own abilities as a defender but his ability to make the other defenders play better when he’s in the team and his ability to cover for them when they (inevitably) make mistakes.
You’re spot on re our need to acquire better defenders then we currently have as without CCV we are literally half as good as we are with him.
Said it before carpet slippers iis starting to cost more than worth. Rarely penetrates with high press and now prone to cut backs and side balls , forget tracking back , to slow,good with his head but has no reall killer pass finally has not improved one iota since brendan got to celtic park . Now, contrast with scales is the carpet slippers really the best?
Would have been madness to play him. We need to get him 100% fit ASAP. If that means a few more games out of the team so be it. Should only be back when totally match fit!
Like it or not, Trusty needs to step up. This is why he’s here. That goes for Valle too, we don’t want another doing but we have to defend properly and play with confidence because I still think we can get something out of this game.