While the victory over Slovan Bratislava at Celtic Park offered supporters hope for the next Champions League campaign, the loss to the Bundesliga team provided Hoops supporters a sobering dose of reality.
Some Celtic supporters are apprehensive about the matchup with Atalanta after the team was soundly defeated 7-1 at Dortmund.
The holders of the Europa League, who have won against Shakhtar Donetsk and drawn with Arsenal in their two league openers, will be difficult for Celtic to defeat.
Would Brendan Rodgers alter Celtic’s strategy for the trip to Atalanta in order to secure only their second-ever victory on Italian soil?
This exact issue was posed to Jim Duffy, and his response may not have been well received by the majority of the Celtic fanbase.
Duffy urged the Hoops faithful not to expect Rodgers to alter his aggressive style, but he did indicate that the Celtics manager might try something new from his typical 4-3-3 set-up.
“You can’t just buy players for those European games,” Duffy stated to Superscoreboard. They must have the flexibility to play the style that Brendan Rodgers desires.
“There’s no denying that it’s a different style from a Martin O’Neill club. Even though the times are different, Celtic play is fluid, interpassing, and heavily dependent on movement.
We discussed a few minor points, and I stated that while Brendan won’t alter it for the 4-3-3, I believe he could just play as a 4-1-4-1, even with the same bunch of players, to make it more compact.
“Even if he lines up alongside somebody like Maeda as an all-out striker, like he did for Japan, you could then insert an additional midfield player to further complicate matters for those strong sides.
You have a little bit of security, just a little safety blanket if you can, and that doesn’t mean you have to give up your style. You can still press and perform your job.
“Brendan will not compromise his style. Therefore, he has stated that if he is going to go down, he will go down and do the things he wants to do. Any Celtics fan who comes on here and wants him to drastically change is not going to get their wish. He wants to play in such manner. That’s his way of thinking.
Comments made by Brendan Rodgers regarding Celtic in the Champions League.
The Celtics manager will now be acutely aware that he must make his club more difficult to beat and that he cannot afford to suffer another crushing loss to Atalanta.
Nevertheless, Rodgers has defied expectation to change course and adopt a defensive stance.
Following Celtic’s loss to Dortmund, Rodgers remarked, “What do we do? Have 15% of the ball, sit back, and most likely lose 3-0 or 4-0? Teams that come to us and just sit and play five at the back, 5-4-1, with little opportunity to attack, are examples of this.
Or do you play the way you play but understand that you need to get better at correcting errors and moving more quickly to close a gap—all of those things are part of the learning process?
“I would much rather do that and fail with my own plan than be defeated by someone who has never managed a team before.” Although I respect the viewpoint, I never have listened to it.
In many respects, Rodgers deserves praise for his stand on Celtic’s Champions League strategy despite intense public criticism.
The head of Hoops has demonstrated a strong moral compass. Hopefully, the Celtic team has moved on from their humiliation at the hands of Dortmund and will perform better when they play the Serie A team.
Since many Celtics supporters don’t consider it enjoyable to watch the Champions League from behind the sofa for another night.
