After a first-half performance like that, one of the things you read a lot is about the so-called European hangover. Sorry, but no. Just no.
We’ve played five European away matches this season, and that was the worst 45-minute performance following one of them.
It’s easy to blame the European hangover—too easy, too lazy—and too many of our players would have been very happy to hide behind a convenient excuse like that today. What happened in that first half was unacceptable. And blaming it on a European hangover is offering an excuse those players don’t deserve.
Too many of them weren’t just off it, they were miles off it.
But we could single out a few for criticism because there’s no point sugarcoating it. Greg Taylor was dreadful. He was to blame for the first goal with that stupid header across his own lines. How many times is this guy going to do that before he’s dropped for it? He then goes in with a high foot in a challenge that gets him a yellow card, putting him under pressure. He has a role in giving away the second as well.
His all-round play was characterised by his typical tendency to drift into the middle of the pitch when he’s supposed to be out wide, guarding our left flank.
Taylor is an easy target, and a lot of us were surprised that he even started this game, considering how good Schlupp was in midweek. I’ll say only this—if Taylor had a petted lip over that, too bad. The idea when you get dropped is that you come back stronger, not act like a pitiful little brat. If his first-half performance was the result of petulance, then he needs to man up.
The other unacceptable first-half performance was that of Adam Idah, who we’ve defended well on this site, but whose lack of effort and application was dreadful to see today. In addition to that, he was caught offside multiple times.
There were so many occasions when Celtic had the chance to put the ball forward, but he was blatantly standing in an offside position—something he could have spotted if he had just opened his eyes. It was infuriating.
On a day like today, you need players to dig deep, show some fight, and prove they belong in this team. Too many weren’t at the races, but those two in particular were woeful in that first half. And they weren’t the only ones.
A lot of this comes down to players simply not concentrating.
Physical fatigue is always a concern, but I worry more about mental fatigue. Too many of them were still on the pitch in Germany, replaying that last 60 seconds in Munich when we looked as if we were going to win the game and then conceded that stupid goal. But for God’s sake, there was a job to be done today. That job was out there at Easter Road, not in the past where nothing can be changed. That’s why I won’t let them have the excuse. That’s why I won’t give them the benefit of the doubt.
Because when all is said and done, Easter Road is where their minds should have been.
There wasn’t going to be a second-half comeback for those two players. Taylor and Idah were so unacceptable in the first 45 minutes that they couldn’t possibly have lasted much longer. The manager acted. He did what he had to do—both of them were hooked, along with McCowan, another player who didn’t even play on Tuesday night and therefore had no excuse like fatigue.
He was just terrible, and so off he came as well.
So Rodgers showed his steel and his drew his claws at halftime, and he had no choice. How much longer could he have persevered with any of them? How much longer will he persevere with Greg Taylor? Not much longer, I would hope.
On Tuesday night, we have Aberdeen at home.
Once that game’s out of the way, we’re in the 10-game countdown. Win on Tuesday and then win seven of the rest, and we’re champions no matter what anyone else does. But we can’t be carrying passengers as we try to get over that line.
The decision not to sign a striker has left us overly reliant on Idah and Maeda and Maeda belongs out wide, because that gives us the options of using rotation to rest people. Players always perform better when there’s competition for their place. And if Idah looks like he’s dropped off somewhat, it’s because right now, there is no competition—except for Maeda. And Maeda, as good as he was again today, was forced to play through the middle, when he’s the guy who brings us all that energy out wide. If we had another striker to bring on, we could have made that a very different second half.
Kuhn would have been subbed for a start. He only completed the game because we didn’t have the option to move Jota out to his position by bringing another forward on.
As it was, though, the players rallied, but we just didn’t do enough. There wasn’t enough smart football, not enough penetration. We didn’t play the ball on the deck around the penalty area enough. When we did, instead of taking aimless shots or floating in high crosses into a packed penalty area where we were never going to win anything, we actually created some chances.
Later today, I’m going to do a piece on Scottish football’s lack of regulations and the unbelievable amount of nonsense Celtic tolerates. And we can add to the list a selection of issues from that game. But not as an excuse—because there are none. These players don’t deserve excuses.
For some of them, today was definitely a tired performance. But the number of basic things we got wrong makes it ridiculous to use that as an alibi. And I won’t.
For others, it was just pure laziness. Rodgers himself wasn’t willing to accept it. They were so far off it they may as well have taken the day off completely. The manager, to his credit, knew it and acted with his characteristic ruthlessness. And the message he sent was loud and clear—he won’t let the levels drop for anyone. Nobody gets to come into this team and take the afternoon off.
That first half was even worse than the 90 minutes at Ibrox earlier in the year. There are still flaws in this team—one of them self-inflicted. The failure to sign the striker we needed to put this title in the bag as early as possible. That’s on those in the director’s box who think they’re geniuses, because for all this time, they’ve been up against a shambolic outfit across the city.
But they aren’t responsible for the basic failures today, for the slackness, for the individual errors. There are one or two players in this team who need to take a long, hard look in the mirror.
And very briefly, I’m going to include Jota in that. I get that he wants to be the hero, but if he doesn’t try to beat five men on his own and simply squares the ball to the two Celtic players waiting to tap it into the net when he made that run, we go into the last 15 minutes level and chasing a winner.
That was ridiculous, stupid, and selfish. And I trust Rodgers will deliver that message in a way he clearly understands.
That performance, in the first half especially, was unworthy of this team. And I say “team” because, as bad as certain individual performances were, a game like that is a collective failure. A result like that is a collective failure.
And don’t even get me started on giving Hibs credit—their cynicism from first minute to last was absolutely deplorable. Some of their players spent more time rolling around on the ground than they did standing up and playing football.
But that doesn’t excuse us. It doesn’t offer us an alibi. We were just terrible. And now we have to dust ourselves off and get ready for a Tuesday night game—an absolutely ridiculous proposition. But one we have to accept.
And the games won’t stop coming, because we’ve got the same Hibs side in a week in the Scottish Cup. If we play like we did in that first 45 minutes, we can forget about the Treble. Because we’ll suffer the same ignominy as that lot across the city—an early cup exit at home.
And don’t worry, I’ll get to the VAR call on the disallowed goal. It’s a scandal. As I said, add it to the range of other things we tolerate which we shouldn’t, a subject I’ll be returning to before the day is out.
Photo by Richard Callis/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Not at their best today, it was always going to be a hard ask. Hibs, have been playing well and we really needed to be up for it from the off. To me it looks like Taylors head is somewhere else.I think personally I’d be playing Shlupp, we never really started playing until the second half, to late in my opinion, the officiating again is a shambles, the Hubble telescope couldn’t tell conclusively that all of the ball was out, yet Alan Muir could, the game is fucked up here!
Taylor running down his deal, doesn’t want to risk injury. Trusty is awful, there, I’ve said it, hates confrontation, very bad positioning, just plain awful, big fearty!! Plays simply because he is comfortable on the ball, but that’s a luxury when he cannot defend. Scales unlucky to lose his place to him. CV poor in the air, too small for Centre Half and too heavy to jump. Calmac, miles off it, Idah very poor. Hibs deserve credit, they did very well
Taylor? Don’t get me started, I will hold my tongue this one time, as long as he is for the off, I am happy.
You might not give Hibs any credit James, and I understand your reasons, but I will, for they fought for everything, they played some decent football and they gave us something to think about. Not like other less adventurous sides who park the bus en masse.
Personally, I am not overly disappointed, the game could have gone either way and despite the disallowed goal, wrongly disallowed in my opinion, we should still have been able to win this game. We didn’t, and no sense in crying over spilled milk we just get on with the rest of the season.
Why criticise Jota – he had a clear shot on goal after a wonderful run and was unlucky to find a defender on the line – yet once again, Engels (and Idah) stink the place out.
I totally agree with that, he was entitled to shoot and was unlucky.
Watching that today makes me partly glad that we didn’t have to suffer extra time in Munich !
Can’t disagree with any of your article James, and BR’s post match interview summed up
today’s events clearly & succinctly!
We were very poor and there are no excuses whatsoever!
The correct players were substituted at half time and they could have added Trusty too. I do wonder about his positioning at times.
Big Idah’s lack of effort and awareness was so apparent at times, and it’s hard to defend !
Taylor I have defended many times, but today he let himself down and could have no complaints about being replaced.
Second half we hufffed and puffed but even at that, we created chances to win the game. Jota’s greed…inexcusable! Pass for a tap in !
Maeda’s disallowed goal!
Give me strength…Again inexcusable and blatant guesswork ( cheating!)
Ref and linesman are happy, VAR angle is completely inconclusive !
So we are denied at least a point, by Muir’s multiple choice guesswork !
Im afraid this just reinforces the joke, that is, our officials, (lack of) knowledge of VAR & rules, and general governance of our footballing empire.
We were very poor today and below the high standards that we regularly set and expect to see as fans .
You have to fight for every three points in this league and earn every victory. Today we didn’t courtesy of the aforementioned allied to scandalous use of VAR.
However, there is no panic and we move on to a tough home game v the sheep!
It is imperative the team selection and mentality are spot on! HH
Hee hee, 20 mins to go and the huns are leaving in their droves, not even staying to Boooooooooooooooooo
It’s still freezing in Govan, still minus 13, what a shame, I feel really sorry for all the auld bigots with no winter fuel allowance. Aye right! I worship the ground they are going into. 🙂
So, never mind. they can all soon roast in hell.
Still finished the weekend further ahead. Ha.
Did they get minus one for their defeat today? Idiot…
A better goal difference obviously, you owe BB an apology!
No apology required but don’t ever doubt me again. Idiot.
Taylor getting a start due to being a regular,miles off it today,playing like a guy not interested,Idah was shocking today,for me he’s at fault for second goal,just didn’t look interested,didn’t want to move,McGregor let guy run off him for 1st goal,he’s not above criticism,in Scotland teams couldn’t care less if you beat Madrid in the Bernabeu,you earn your crust up here Idah,no big time Charlie’s please
I was raging with Jota’s greediness too. He displayed a disgusting selfish streak when he celebrated his goal in the Bernabeu when we were 5-1 down, and that streak needs pulled out of him.
Analysis of VAR Intervention Under Scottish Football Rules
Key VAR Principles (IFAB & Scottish FA Guidelines)
1. “Clear and Obvious Error” Standard
VAR can only intervene if there is conclusive evidence that the on-field decision was incorrect.
If there is doubt, the on-field decision stands.
2. Decisions Subject to VAR Review
Goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity.
The build-up to a goal is reviewed, including whether the ball was out of play.
3. Standard for Overturning On-Field Decisions
VAR must have definitive camera angles to show the entire ball has crossed the entire line.
The burden of proof is on VAR to show a mistake, not on the referee to defend their call.
Applying the Rules to This Situation
1. On-Field Decision
The referee and linesman (who was only 8 yards away) both judged that the ball was in play.
This means the goal should stand unless VAR finds clear and indisputable evidence to the contrary.
2. Evidence from the Image
The camera angle is diagonal, meaning there is perspective distortion.
No goal-line camera or perpendicular angle is available to prove that the whole ball crossed the whole line.
As per physics, even if the ball appears over the line, its curvature may still overhang, meaning it is in play.
3. VAR’s Decision to Overturn
VAR should not have overturned the referee’s call unless there was a clear, top-down view showing the entire ball out.
Since the available image is not conclusive, the intervention violates the “clear and obvious error” principle.
The goal should have stood, as the benefit of the doubt remains with the on-field decision.
Was There Prejudice Against the Attacking Team?
Factors That Suggest Bias or Misuse of VAR:
Lack of conclusive proof but still overturning the decision.
Ignoring the linesman’s close proximity and view.
Not following the “clear and obvious” standard, which is meant to avoid unnecessary interference.
If similar marginal decisions tend to go against one team consistently, it raises integrity concerns.
Verdict:
The VAR official was wrong to overturn the goal.
The decision lacks definitive proof and does not meet the threshold for intervention.
While direct bias is difficult to prove, the inconsistent application of VAR suggests a potential prejudice or procedural failure.
If this were a UEFA legal case, the attacking team would have strong grounds to argue that VAR was misapplied, and the goal should have stood.
From the analysis:
The ball’s position (highlighted in green) shows it is very close to the line.
The reference goal line (in blue) suggests some part of the ball may still be overhanging the line.
Due to perspective distortion, a final decision requires a vertical top-down view.
Conclusion (Physics-Based)
If the ball’s outermost edge still projects vertically onto any part of the line, it is in play.
From this angle, there is no clear evidence that the whole ball has crossed the entire line.
A VAR top-down view would be required for certainty.
Based on this analysis, there is no unequivocal proof that the ball is out of play.
Used UEFA and IFAB regulations, thinking like a physicist and maximising known geometry and trigonometry excellence, determine if it was out of play or not – using the image they used today.
No clear and obvious error therefore VAR has nothing to do. ChatGPT was inconclusive but it looked to be on the pitch. Bias and prejudice could have been part of the decision and outcome.
Out of principle DD should take it to arbitration and have those officials explain why they chalked off a perfectly acceptable goal.
It cost us 1 point, 1 point = £>whatever 1 point value is< get to the end of the week to pay, otherwise we'll sue.
Because it's a deterrent for other sinister baldy staunch orange cunts to wreak havoc and let bitterness enter the football pitch.
We shouldn't be pleading for impartiality, the SFA should be enforcing it stringently
Thank you for those very educational posts David.