Brendan Rodgers admitted that Celtic must accept the position in which they are with transfers after playing a scoreless draw in their Champions League qualifying match with Kairat.
Rodgers watched while his side did not break the strict defensive rearguard of the Kazakhstan champions, with Celtic Park ringing with angry on the full-time whistle.
Alyaksandr Martynovich had excluded a goal for offside for visitors in the 11th minute, before Alistair Johnston was stretched with a serious injury before halftime.
Celtic continued to investigate for a winning goal, but could not find it, which means that they are now starting a 7,000-mile return next Tuesday, knowing that a victory would seal a place at the top table of Europe.
The Rodgers team collected an expected goals (XG) a total of 0.54 from their 11 attempts, which improved Kairat’s count of 0.48 marginal from their eight shots at the goal of Kasper Schmeichel.
But much of the structure of the game was aimed at ALS and when Rodgers would add to his team for the European campaign, where the Northern Irish expressed his wish to welcome new faces in his ranks.
Celtic has made six signing sessions so far, including a loan agreement for the younger Jahmai Simpson-Pusey by Manchester City and Benjamin Nygren from Nordsjaelland.
“We have to improve the team. Clarity has been around for a long time. Supporters see that. We are doing in football. We have to improve,” Rodgers told reporters.
“This is a performance club. That starts on the field. That does you by getting the very best players you can perform to make you perform. A style that excites supporters.
“Hopefully between now and the end of the season, the club will get that and that will support us.
“In the end it is not my decision. I can prepare the team, the staff and the players here who are fantastic in the pre -season. We are all clear where to improve, and for whatever reason we have not been able to do that.
“We are in this position, we have to accept that and not think about it and try to get through it.”
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Rodgers mentioned a bad display in the first half as crucial to be unable to take a leadership to Kazakhstan, while he also complained the inability to create many clear opportunities.
Celtic failed to register a shot on goal in the first 45 minutes, but dominated the ball with 71% possession, while he also had more than double the number of corners (12 to four) and had 40 last third submissions of Kairat’s 24.
“We are disappointed about the result and performance of the first half. We did not start the intention and mentality we wanted. We were pretty passive,” Rodgers added.
“We did not move as a team as we would like. The second half was better. We started well, but could not find the breakthrough in the last third of the field.
“Of course you want to get the advantage. I have been here before, after I signed 0-0 in a qualifying match against Rosenborg, a very good team.
“We went there to qualify, and we did, played very well and won.
“There is no doubt that we can go there and win. Of course you want to take advantage of you, it is still very much in the balance.”
And Celtic Captain Callum McGregor echoed his manager’s thoughts and said: “We were too slow and too passive.
“The second half we started well, the entire half on the front foot. We have another game, it’s 0-0, we never lost. We have to go there and win there next week.
“The connections were not entirely there to get us through the middle. It is on us to go there and now qualify.
“We know how much everyone wants it. It is our job to work [through the anxiety in the stadium] And keep playing. “
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