Shaun Maloney says Celtic's European problems go beyond effort as they prepare for Celta Vigo at Celtic Park on Thursday. The assistant manager says the staff need to sort the team's shape without the ball, with Celtic 33rd in the 36-team Europa League table on 0 points after two matches.
Celtic's off-ball issue
"We definitely have to figure out a few of the structural things in terms of being without the ball, what suits this team and all the players within it and then just a full commitment from everyone to defend," Shaun Maloney told dailymail.com.
He added: "I definitely wouldn’t sit here and say it’s fully on a player’s commitment or work rate. I think it’s everything. I think we have to be better as coaches."
That is a fair read of where Celtic are. The back-to-back losses to Ferencvaros and Benfica have left them needing a win against Celta Vigo, and Maloney said the first nine or 10 games gave the staff time to stop and assess where the team is.
The domestic gap Celtic have to close
The split between Scotland and Europe is stark enough without dressing it up. Celtic beat Hearts 7-1 at the weekend and have scored 23 league goals in 9 Premiership matches, but they have managed only 2 goals and conceded 7 across their two Europa League games.
Maloney said the players need to be more consistent and that the good bits are already there. "I think we’ve got really talented players as, I think, the weekend shows, and the second half against Benfica," he said.
The challenge now is to reproduce that domestic control in a European game that already has pressure attached. Celtic meet Celta Vigo on Thursday with no margin for another flat start, and Maloney wants the response to come from the whole team, not just the forwards or the defenders.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
