Celtic legend John Hartson felt Joe Hart had a big part to play in the ‘very disappointing’ goal which gifted Feyenoord the lead during Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League group-stage defeat at the Dutch champions.
They say this is just about the worst time to concede, right on the stroke of half-time.
Brendan Rodgers would no doubt attest to that; his Celtic side more than holding their own at De Kuip but trudging in at the interval having conceded the most avoidable of openers as Calvin Stengs – the best player on the Rotterdam pitch – fizzed a long-range free-kick around the wall and past a sluggish Joe Hart.
Celtic lose at Feyenoord in Champions League
“I think it’s very disappointing to concede the goal that they did,” Hartson sighed during TNT Sport’s live coverage (19 September, 8.45pm). “It’s very, very poor goal to give away.
“The wall not doing its job and Joe Hart gave the player so much room on his left-hand side. It’s from 28 – 30 yards, and Joe has got to move his feet quicker to get across.
“So, a really disappointing goal.”
Hart, Celtic’s veteran ‘keeper, did keep out a tame Igor Paixao penalty on the hour mark but the damage had been done. If Stengs’ opener was the Hoops shooting themselves in the foot, then the rapid-fire red cards handed out to Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm was like pulling the pin out of the grenade but then forgetting to throw it, Celtic’s evening blowing up in their own face.
‘Bitterly disappointing’
“(Stengs’ goal) was bitterly disappointing at that stage,” Rodgers tells the Daily Record, Celtic’s hopes of reaching the group stage suffering an early blow. “Because we played well in the game.”
“You are always disappointed when you lose. But there is a manner to lose. I think the pride the supporters watching will take from that is the team was competitive. We have been dismissed as a team that is not at this level.
“But we showed against a good team we can be competitive for sure. We’ll have players coming back through the course of the tournament and hopefully that will stand us in good stead.
“There was moments tonight when we had confidence to play in a great stadium with a good atmosphere. It took real courage to do that. Overall, I am frustrated for the players because they gave so much and worked so hard.
“The big point for me was that their spirit was never broken.”
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