This time last year we were facing a daunting, and gruelling trip to Kazakhstan with our Champions League aspirations very much on the line.
Having flopped at home against minnows Kairat Almaty, we made the long journey, and were ultimately made to pay as the Kazakh side beat us on spot kicks to kill off our Champions League aspirations, and confine us to the Europa League.
The only 'new' additions to Brendan Rodgers pool of players for those two games were the returning Kieran Tierney (who had signed a pre-contract months earlier) with Shin Yamada, loan signing Jahmai Simpson Pusey, and Callum Osmand the other new recruits, but were very much seen as bench players at the most.
Temirlan Anarbekov of Kairat clutches the ba during the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round First Leg match between Celtic and Kairat Almaty at Celtic Park on August 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
That failure to add any real quality to our side was the biggest factor for our failure not just in Europe, but the following few months to follow. Something that resulted in Brendan Rodgers deciding enough was enough, which culminated in the Irishman handing in his notice.
#league #almaty #brendan
Having flopped at home against minnows Kairat Almaty, we made the long journey, and were ultimately made to pay as the Kazakh side beat us on spot kicks to kill off our Champions League aspirations, and confine us to the Europa League.
The only 'new' additions to Brendan Rodgers pool of players for those two games were the returning Kieran Tierney (who had signed a pre-contract months earlier) with Shin Yamada, loan signing Jahmai Simpson Pusey, and Callum Osmand the other new recruits, but were very much seen as bench players at the most.
Temirlan Anarbekov of Kairat clutches the ba during the UEFA Champions League Play-offs Round First Leg match between Celtic and Kairat Almaty at Celtic Park on August 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
That failure to add any real quality to our side was the biggest factor for our failure not just in Europe, but the following few months to follow. Something that resulted in Brendan Rodgers deciding enough was enough, which culminated in the Irishman handing in his notice.
#league #almaty #brendan
2 months ago
