Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has highlighted the absence of captain Callum McGregor as a key factor in his side’s disappointing first-half performance in today’s Glasgow Derby.

With the Hoops trailing 2-0 at the break, Rodgers was quick to point to the lack of McGregor’s presence in midfield as one of the reasons for Celtic’s struggles.

Missing McGregor’s Influence

When asked to reflect on the first-half showing, Rodgers said: (Sky Sports), “There’s no doubt we missed Callum. I think Callum gives, as I’ve said before, real tactical balance in the game.” The Celtic manager made it clear that McGregor’s leadership and composure were sorely lacking, and the team had to adapt to the absence of their key midfielder.

“Normally, Callum offers that stability in midfield, and his ability to link play quickly helps us move through the pitch,” Rodgers continued. “We were forced to shuffle things around, and it was clear that we couldn’t quite find the same rhythm without him.”

Tactical Imbalance and Rushed Play

Rodgers also pointed to the tactical imbalance caused by McGregor’s absence, explaining how it affected the team’s overall performance. The Celtic boss admitted that the Hoops were too rushed in their play and struggled to maintain control of the ball.

“We were just too rushed in our game,” said Rodgers. “It was too slow, and we gave up the ball too cheaply. That’s not the way we want to play, especially in such a high-intensity fixture.”

Looking Ahead to the Second Half

While Celtic did find their way back into the game at 2-2, ultimately they put all the work into levelling the game and, with the match finely balanced, didn’t have enough to go on to win. Arne Engels failed to impress in McGregor’s role as the deeper midfielder, and it affected build-up play and how the Hoops progressed the ball for much of the game.

It’s a lesson to learn from for Celtic: invest in a new holding midfielder to compete with McGregor or risk a severe drop-off, as was seen in the first half this afternoon. Engels is clearly more suited to playing further forward.