Callum McGregor

One thing Callum cannot be accused of by ANYONE is hiding.

 

He's more than fine domestically.

But in European football our midfield needs more physicality. I have said it from day 1 as well, McGregor isn't a number 6, he's much more effective as an 8.

 

Thought he was pretty decent in all honesty. Wasn't the problem for me today.

 

After bruising and chastening defeats like Borussia Dortmund, the task of defending the indefensible falls, time and again, to Celtic’s captain

Callum McGregor is tired of facing the music. Tired of promising to learn valuable lessons and be better next time.

So far as the skipper is concerned, it’s not enough to talk the talk. At some point, a Celtic team with any aspirations of reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League needs to stand on its own two feet.

If they carry on losing six and seven goals at this level, words become nothing more than white noise.

‘Everyone talks and talks and talks and everybody loves it,’ said McGregor. ‘But, ultimately, the game is played on the grass and we can only get away with so much talking. You have to back it up at some point.

‘We started the competition really well and then took a sore one in Germany. But, probably, the reaction to that game was based on how good we had been doing.


Everybody went there with full expectation that we were going to do well in the game and could maybe get something from it. But it shows there is still a big gap in terms of where we are trying to get to.


We can’t forget about how well we had done and that we are a good side. But we need to go and show that belief and show that quality and actually do our talking on the pitch.

‘That’s my hope for the rest of the campaign, that when we take to the pitch — and we come off again — everybody can say: “That’s a good Celtic team” and we’ve picked up points.’

After conceding seven goals in Dortmund, Celtic lost another two at home to Aberdeen on Saturday. Images of Cameron Carter-Vickers training at Lennoxtown offered the teasing prospect of the club’s most influential defender making his first appearance since sustaining a toe injury in the 5-1 hammering of Slovan Bratislava.

The absence of the American international from another Champions League game now has supporters fearing the worst.

The aggressive intensity of Atalanta has the potential to inflict further damage on a team missing the first-choice central defender and first-choice left-back Greg Taylor



Italy international Mateo Retegui has scored eight goals in eight games since moving to Bergamo in the summer.