Tom Rogic endured a disappointing evening as Celtic suffered defeat in their final Europa League group-stage game.
Rogic was disappointing as the Hoops squeezed through to the knockout stages of the competition. Brendan Rodgers’ men were beaten 2-1 by Red Bull Salzburg at Parkhead, but Rosenborg’s draw with RB Leipzig sent the Bhoys through in second place.
The Australian was slammed by some of the supporters as he struggled to keep possession. And Ferguson was heavily critical of the midfielder when asked about his apparent reluctance to track back when he did give the ball away.
“If I was playing in that team, I’d be screaming at him,” he told PLZ Soccer.
“I think you can get away with that domestically, but when you go up a level and you’re playing against a top team you can’t do it. If you lose a ball, your first reaction is to go and get that ball back, and it looked to me as if it was just a jog back and one of his other teammates will get him out of trouble.”
When Rogic is at his best, there are few players within the Celtic squad who are capable of such game-changing quality. He has been directly involved in eight goals in the Scottish Premiership this season, with three goals and five assists so far.
Only two members of the Hoops squad have been involved in more goals so far. But perhaps Rodgers will be slightly more reluctant to turn to the 26-year-old in the knockout stages of the Europa League if he expects Celtic to be underdogs against whoever they are drawn with.
Rogic may be one of the players who can turn a tie in their favour if they are facing a heavyweight in the last 32, but they will also need the players who can really put in a top performance in the midfield battle.
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