BRENDAN RODGERS WARNED OVER CELTIC WEAK POINT THAT COULD PROVE COSTLY IN TITLE RACE

Richard Foster believes Celtic's defending at Hampden will be a major concern for Brendan Rodgers ahead of the title run-in.

The former Aberdeen and Rangers full-back reckons opponents watching Saturday’s 3-3 Scottish Cup semi final thriller will have seen a fragility in the Hoops backline in defending cross balls. And he pinpointed Liam Scales as having had a particularly torrid time against the physicality of Bojan Miovski and Ester Sokler.

Foster, now head of coaching at Motherwell, said: “They didn’t defend their box well and normally that’s something Celtic do very well. Teams struggle to get touches in the box against Celtic but Aberdeen seemed to do it at will. The goals were really poor defensively and that would be a worry for Brendan Rodgers.” Aberdeen flew into the lead in the second minute when Miovski got in between Sales and Cameron Carter-Vickers before slotting past Joe Hart. The Dons’ second and third goals both came from Junior Hoilett crosses to the back post where Sokler and then Angus MacDonald drifted off Scales to head home.

And Foster told the BBC’s Scottish Football Podcast: “I thought Liam Scales really struggled with the physical element. When Miovski plays on the last line they never seemed to get the structure right behind the ball, so many times Scales and Carter-Vickers were square and Miovski was running between them instead of having one picking up and one screening.

“They never seemed to handle him and then when Sokler came on it gave them a world of trouble. I don’t think he won a single header against him. Balls into the box.. for me both the second and third goals were on Scales. He just watched the ball and lets Sokler and MacDonald drift off the back of him.

“It would be worrying how many first contacts Aberdeen got in the Celtic box from crosses. If you’re looking at a team to go and play against Celtic now, you think to yourself ‘cross the ball in the box’. If you get first contact then you have an opportunity to go and score a goal.”

2024-04-22T16:07:22Z dg43tfdfdgfd