No need for panic but little cause for optimism as Lincoln Red Imps hand Celtic worst ever defeat

Well, we can consider our euphoria quashed.

Imps 1 - 0 Limps: Lincoln  was Celtic's worst ever defeat

It is only a few weeks since 13,000 fans turned out to welcome the new Brendan Rodgers era.

And Rodgers still remains a top appointment.

But, like Gordon Strachan found with Artmedia Bratislava and, before him, Liam Brady discovered against Neuchâtel Xamax , away games against weaker teams can provide the stage for a humiliation.

Defeat by Lincoln Red Imps is, by some way, the worst defeat in Celtic's history.

Credit to the Imps – they played a solid, professional game and, sadly, deserved their victory.

But a 3-0 victory over the champions of Gibraltar would not have been hailed as impressive.

Most will expect the return leg at Celtic Park to be too much for the Imps and a better surface in front of a big home crowd should be enough to allow Celtic to squeeze through.

Then again, people thought the same for the two matches mentioned above – and Celtic fell short both times.

No, there is no need for panic but the spotlight has been turned on previous seasons' transfer activity again.

Indefensible: Efe Ambrose

Firstly, any coach should have a clause in his contract defining playing Efe Ambrose as a dereliction of duty. Ambrose excels a back-flips but that appears to be his only athletic ability.

He continually plays matches as if he's trying to remember if he turned the gas off before he left the house and whether or not he needs to stop off at the 24-Hour Tesco for milk before he gets home.

With that level of concentration, his lack of positional play, inability to anticipate, crude tackling, poor timing and chaotic passing seem unlikely to offer any hope of him ever developing into a defender.

There are others but let's not turn this into a “names of shame” exercise.

However, collectively, Celtic still lack energy, ideas or any demonstrable fighting spirit.

There is undoubtedly talent within the club but evidently not enough of it.

There may be no need for panic but what we have seen on the field has not given any cause for optimism.

And if the professionals at the club don't show far more focus in the return leg, this will be a season of “glamour friendlies” instead of European competition.
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