Celtic still have a lot to do to reach the Champions League after a goalless draw in the first leg of their playoff against Kairat at Parkhead.
In Brendan Rodgers’s 800th match as a manager, the hosts didn’t produce their usual early attacking pressure, as the well-organized Kazakhstani side held their own. Celtic increased the tempo in the second half, with Yang Hyun-jun replacing Adam Idah and Daizen Maeda moving to centre-forward. They piled on the pressure late in the game, including 10 minutes of added time, but couldn’t find a breakthrough.
After their home league match against Livingston on Saturday, Celtic will prepare for the return leg in Kazakhstan on Tuesday night—a 7,000-mile round trip—knowing qualification may require more effort than many expected.
Much of the pre-match discussion focused on whether Rodgers would strengthen his squad for Europe. While there were no last-minute signings, he made six changes to the team, bringing in Kasper Schmeichel, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Reo Hatate, Benjamin Nygren, and Idah, while Viljami Sinisalo, Dane Murray, Auston Trusty, Arne Engels, Luke McCowan, and Johnny Kenny were left out.
Kairat’s head coach, Rafael Urazbakhtin, emphasized that his team was playing for the pride of Kazakhstan and placed high hopes on 17-year-old forward Dastan Satpayev, who is set to join Chelsea. The visitors settled quickly, and in the 11th minute, captain Aleksandr Martynovich thought he had scored from close range, but the goal was ruled offside.
Satpayev was influential as Kairat attacked with speed and fluidity on the counter, quieting the home crowd. In the 32nd minute, Celtic defender Alistair Johnston appeared to pull a hamstring while tracking back and was stretchered off, replaced by Anthony Ralston.
Shortly after, Kairat goalkeeper Aleksandr Zarutskiy made a save from Maeda when Celtic finally broke through. At the other end, Ofri Arad’s powerful shot flew just wide of Schmeichel’s post.
The introduction of Yang for Idah at the start of the second half, with Maeda moving to a central role, was an expected change. Within a minute, Yang set up James Forrest, whose shot was tipped onto the post and then gathered by Zarutskiy. In the 58th minute, after some sloppy play…Carter-Vickers made a defensive block, and Brazilian striker Edmilson attempted a speculative shot from 40 yards out that landed on the roof of Schmeichel’s net.
Celtic continued to win corners but couldn’t convert, and as the game entered the final quarter, home fans—perhaps also frustrated by the lack of transfer activity—began chanting “sack the board.” In the 75th minute, Zarutskiy had to be substituted by backup goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov after picking up an injury while defending a corner. Zarutskiy later had his head bandaged after taking a knock.
Callum McGregor led the applause as Celtic players walked around the pitch at full time.
The visitors wasted time at every opportunity, and 10 minutes of added time gave Celtic hope. However, Maeda wasted a golden opportunity when he broke through one-on-one but could only muster a weak shot that was easily saved by Anarbekov. The final whistle was met with boos from frustrated Celtic supporters.
After hearing the Celtic board criticized by fans following the goalless draw, manager Brendan Rodgers said, “These are tough games, and you want your best players available as soon as possible to handle these situations. But it is what it is—I have to accept where we are and prepare for Saturday, then the long trip on Sunday, and try to get through Tuesday.”
When asked about the fans’ reaction, Rodgers commented, “I know from experience that ‘sack the board’ usually means ‘sack the manager.’ It’s normally the manager who goes when that chant starts. I can only focus on the players we have and their performance. We’ve known for a long time what the squad needs, so I don’t want to go into that.”
He added, “The boys are a great group, really honest. They’ve started the season well and been strong defensively. But tonight, offensively, we just lacked the quality to break through. We need to improve the squad—I think the supporters see that. This is a performance club, and it starts on the field. You achieve that by bringing in the best players possible.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Brendan Rodgers comments on Celtics need to strengthen the squad after the draw with Kairat
General Beginner Questions
Q Who is Brendan Rodgers
A He is the current manager of Celtic Football Club in his second spell managing the team
Q What happened in the Kairat game
A Celtic drew 11 with FC Kairat Almaty in a preseason friendly match which was considered a disappointing result
Q Why is a preseason draw such a big deal
A While the result itself isnt crucial preseason is used to build fitness test tactics and assess players A poor performance can highlight weaknesses in the squad before the competitive season begins
Q What does strengthen the squad mean
A It means the manager wants the club to sign new highquality players to improve the team as he doesnt believe the current players are strong or deep enough
Advanced Strategic Questions
Q Which specific areas of the team does Rodgers likely want to strengthen
A Based on recent performances the most common areas identified by fans and pundits are central defense a dynamic central midfielder and a consistent goalscoring winger
Q Is this just a tactic to put pressure on the clubs board
A It can be interpreted that way Managers often use public comments to highlight urgent needs and push for signings especially with the Champions League qualifiers and Scottish Premiership season starting soon
Q How does this relate to the players who just left like Jota and Starfelt
A It directly relates Celtic lost key proven players and Rodgers is stating that the players brought in so far may not be adequate replacements He wants the squads overall quality to be maintained or improved not weakened
Q Whats the risk if Celtic dont strengthen the squad
A The risks are failing to qualify for the lucrative UEFA Champions League group stage losing the Scottish Premiership title to rivals Rangers and overall fan discontent
Q Are there any players linked with a move to Celtic that would address these concerns
