Brendan Rodgers didn’t hold back in explaining his decision to hook Adam Idah at half-time during Celtic’s 0-0 draw with Kairat Almaty, admitting he couldn’t afford to wait for the striker to grow into the game.

Idah struggled to make an impact in the opening 45 minutes of the Champions League qualifier. While Celtic created little in general, the Irish forward often found himself a step behind the play and failed to bring the attacking presence Rodgers was looking for. With the tie finely poised and the crowd growing restless, the manager made a bold switch at the break.

Yang Hyun-jun came on and injected instant urgency down the left flank, giving Celtic a much-needed spark. Daizen Maeda, who had been operating out wide, was shifted into the striker role – a position he thrived in last season after Kyogo left. The change gave the side more direct running and should have seen energy through the middle.

Rodgers gave a frank assessment of Idah’s performance post-match.

“Yeah, there’s, listen, there’s no rocket science in it. It’s all hard work. It’s all preparation. That will obviously lead to confidence and then you normally succeed then as a player from that. So yeah, I didn’t quite go for him first half. I wanted a little bit more activity in and around the box because I felt that we could get up there. And yeah, so yeah, he’s, Adam’s a good boy, he’s an honest boy. Hasn’t quite started how he would have liked. But in games like these here, I can’t afford to wait. And that’s why I made the change at halftime.” [TCW]

Celtic didn’t find the breakthrough, but the second-half improvement was clear. Yang looked lively on the left but Maeda just didn’t step up.

With just over a week left in the window, and calls growing louder for a new striker, Idah’s stuttering start to the season will only sharpen scrutiny on Celtic’s forward options as the return leg in Kazakhstan looms.