Several Renowned Figures in English Football Criticize Celtic Manager Rodgers: You Can’t Ignore the Huge Difference Between the Scottish Premiership and the Champions League

On October 2, in the second round of the Champions League, Celtic suffered a humiliating 1-7 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund. Former Arsenal player Martin Keown harshly criticized Celtic’s manager Rodgers after the match.

Keown severely criticized Celtic’s manager Rodgers, stating that his failure to adjust the playing style in time led to the team’s heavy defeat: “You can’t approach the Champions League with the same style and tempo as you do in the Scottish Premiership; you haven’t made effective adjustments to your team. In the Scottish Premiership, Celtic has a significant advantage, so they undoubtedly dominate games, but the Champions League is a completely different competition. Celtic needs to learn from this loss; you cannot go head-to-head with top teams in the Champions League, especially when your opponent reached the final last season. You can’t ignore the huge difference between the Scottish Premiership and the Champions League.”

Former Rangers player Boyd also added fuel to the fire against Celtic post-match, mocking their old rivals with a caption: “Celtic’s players need to remember that Borussia Dortmund is the strongest opponent they’ve faced this season.”

Lennon also addressed Celtic’s issues: “They kept conceding goals on the field. When Celtic was trailing 1-3, I hoped they could improve the situation—either by mounting an effective offensive for 5-10 minutes in the opponent’s half to relieve pressure, providing adequate support to Daizen Maeda, or creating set-piece opportunities—but none of that happened. Borussia Dortmund is indeed strong, but not without flaws; there were spaces to exploit on their right flank. However, throughout the game, Celtic was heavily suppressed. When facing strong teams away from home in the Champions League, you need to change your approach.”