Brendan Rodgers names major Celtic failing in Champions League with Tiago Araujo set to trigger quality hunt
The Hoops saw their Euro adventure come to a heartbreaking end in Rome after a late Ciro Immobile double.
Brendan Rodgers says it’s glaring that Celtic need more quality to push forward in the Champions League.
The Parkhead boss saw his side’s hopes of qualification ended last night when losing 2-0 to Lazio. Sub Ciro Immobile’s two late goals left them with just one point from their five Group E matches. Rodgers is eyeing £4 million-rated Estoril star Tiago Araujo as he now sets about building up for a next crack at Europe’s elite.
He’s adamant the squad needs boosted by top talent and supplementing those additions with experiences gained by the current squad during this term’s run will lift their levels in the Champions League. He said: “We need to add quality, that’s the glaring thing that stands out within the squad. So that’s hopefully something that we can hope to resolve in the next couple of windows.”
Asked if Celtic will get stronger in the competition with that class injection, he continued: “That’s the plan. The players have gained more experience at this level and they have shown that they can compete in a lot of the games.
“If we can have players available and add to that then we can go again and push forward. It’s important for us to be in this competition. People will look at it and say: Well, you’ve only got one point and you struggle. But it’s still important for us as a club to be there.
“To help players develop and grow and look to achieve, so yes, we will learn from this for sure. But I think it is the overall quality at the level.
"We need to have our very best players available going into this competition and having that quality is what makes the difference. What makes the difference is that little bit of experience and genuine quality, especially at the top end of the pitch.”
Rodgers is hunting a variety of options with Araujo amongst those on the radar. The 22-year-old operates along the left side having come through the ranks at Benfica before making his move to Estoril.
Celtic departed the Stadio Olimpico last night sickened by the turn of events which saw them lose out. He said: “Clearly, the result was very disappointing. In terms of performance, first-half, we were too safe. I felt we kept the ball, but we needed to progress the game that bit more. But we were comfortable.
“Second half we were much better. We arrived on the ascendancy to the last 20 minutes and looked like the team who could go on and get the result, but we gave away two poor goals.
“First one, we are in a great position where we are working the ball up the pitch, we lose possession and never recovered our shape.
“They got a bit of luck with the deflection. So that was a tough one so late on and, obviously, we have to be stronger and better for the second goal.
“I have to commend the players. They have been giving everything.”
Celtic’s night was summed up when a penalty awarded for a push on Oh Hyeon-gyu was overturned in injury-time and the boss sighed: “That’s the wee bit where you need the breaks. "Even though it would have been a consolation, it would still have been nice to get the reward. But it’s definitely in the competition throughout, whether it has been sendings-off or whatever, we just never got the breaks.”
Celtic are playing only for pride against Feyenoord in a fortnight, but Rodgers said: “Our supporters have been incredible coming all around Europe and they haven’t seen us winning. So we would love to be able to give them that victory and finish off with a positive result and see if we can finish with a higher points total than last season.”
Meanwhile, both the hosts and Celtic could face a grilling from UEFA due to events prior to kick off. Home thugs fired lit flares into the away section of the crowd just before kick-off with some returned back over the fence.