Chris Sutton has implored Celtic to add a new goalkeeper to Ange Postecoglou’s squad after their Champions League exit at the hands of FC Midtjylland, while speaking to Premier Sports.
They have a phrase in Italy; ‘gol mangiato, gol subito’. Literally translated, it means ‘miss a goal, concede a goal’. If you still don’t know what we are referring to, just ask Celtic fans.
Seconds after James Forrest put a gilt-edged chance wide of the post in Denmark, Midtjylland went down the other end and equalised. ‘Miss a goal, concede a goal’.
If Forrest had put that one-on-one opportunity away minutes into the second half, Celtic would have gone 2-0 up on the night, 3-1 up on aggregate. Talk about fine margins.
By the end of the night, the Hoops were licking their wounds, Callum McGregor’s wonder-goal counting for nothing as the Glasgow giants threw away their advantage while falling at the qualification stage yet again; The fourth year in a row.
For Sutton, however, the club’s real problems lie, not in attack, but at the other end of the pitch.
Do Barkas, Bain and Hazard have a future at Postecoglou’s Celtic?
“Every Celtic fan knows they needed a goalkeeper who was up to it. Barkas, Bain and Hazard aren’t up to it – why haven’t Celtic acted?,” said the always-outspoken club legend.
He has a point.
Postecoglou was willing to give everyone a clean slate after taking over from Neil Lennon but, so far, his faith looks horribly misplaced.
The error-prone Barkas was at fault for Midtjylland’s game-changing equaliser in the first leg and, while Bain impressed with his footwork and passing range in Jutland, neither he nor Conor Hazard are long-term solutions to the club’s goalkeeping problems.
Fabrizio Romano caused quite the stir when he claimed that Celtic were in talks to sign Joe Hart, the 75-capped England international and Tottenham Hotspur man. Could a 34-year-old who hasn’t played a league game since 2018/19 be exactly what Postecoglou needs?
“It’s embarrassing. This isn’t on the manager – this is on the board,” Sutton added, taking aim at the lack of transfer activity at Parkhead.
“For Celtic to go out of the Champions League at this stage – we all know the reasons for it – the manager has been dealt an awful hand.
“I said it last week and that it would be a miracle if Celtic got through the Champions League group stage.”
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