Brendan Rodgers faces critical decisions regarding Celtic’s defensive setup after another concerning performance.
Domestically, Celtic’s commanding lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership means they can afford the occasional slip in performance without risking their title ambitions.
However, with two crucial Champions League fixtures on the horizon, the defensive frailties that have plagued them since the start of the year must be addressed urgently.
Cameron Carter-Vickers remains a mainstay at centre-back, flanked by Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor in the fullback positions.
But Rodgers has struggled to settle on a reliable partner for Carter-Vickers, alternating between Auston Trusty and Liam Scales. Unfortunately, neither has fully convinced in recent outings.
On Tuesday night, Celtic’s 3-3 draw at Dundee exposed those defensive vulnerabilities. Trusty had a particularly poor outing, bearing responsibility for both the second and third goals conceded.
Celtic told Auston Trusty was ‘out of control’ against Dundee:
The defensive display at Dens Park has raised questions about Celtic’s readiness for the Champions League.
Comparisons to their struggles in the nightmare game against Dortmund suggest a repeat performance if the issues remain unresolved.
Pundit Stephen McGinn criticized Trusty’s performance, describing him as “out of control” during the Dundee match.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, McGinn highlighted the team’s inability to handle the physicality and aggression of their opponents.
“The first goal, you can always lose a goal from a counter-attack,” said McGinn.
“It’s the manner of the goals. It’s just a bump by Simon Murray on Auston Trusty and he seemed to be totally out of control, in terms of his defending, then Josh Mulligan is clean in.
“And the third goal, no manager likes losing set-piece goals. It’s just the ease of it. One you almost work on in training without the defending team coming in when you work it at the back post and your man wins it at the back post.
“The manner of the goals, yeah, he (Rodgers) will be absolutely disappointed with.”
Trusty’s form under scrutiny:
Celtic invested significantly in Trusty and need him to deliver consistent performances to justify the expense.
His recent struggles have already led to calls for the club to strengthen their defensive ranks in the transfer market, with only three viable options competing for two starting spots.
Despite the criticism, Trusty has shown promise, earning a 7.39 rating from WhoScored for his domestic performances.
However, his 6.73 rating in the Champions League underscores the gap between his performances on the domestic and European stages.
If he doesn’t improve quickly, Rodgers may have no choice but to look for reinforcements to solidify Celtic’s backline ahead of their biggest tests this season.
