Celtic's mentality called into question by fan favourite as escalating problem identified after costly European loss
Former Celtic midfielders believe a lack of confidence and responsibility contributed to the Hoops’ disappointing 3-1 defeat by Ferencvaros
Stiliyan Petrov believes Celtic’s recent struggles have begun to affect the way they play after a 3-1 defeat to Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener left him questioning whether Martin O’Neill’s team are now showing signs of fear.
The Hoops were bidding to put Sunday’s 3-0 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final loss to Rangers behind them, but instead endured another difficult evening at Parkhead as their Hungarian opponents exposed defensive weaknesses and punished Celtic at crucial moments.
There were encouraging signs during the opening stages, with James Forrest, in particular, posing problems as Celtic looked to pin the visitors back inside their own box. A series of early corners suggested they were ready to attack with purpose.
However, Ferencvaros gradually settled into the contest and broke the deadlock after 20 minutes. Bamidele Yusuf created the opening before his effort from outside the box took a deflection off Liam Scales, leaving goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo with no time to react.
Celtic’s response was positive and they eventually found an equaliser before half-time. Kieran Tierney advanced into the penalty area before cutting the ball back for team-mate Mika Baur, who made no mistake with his first-time finish from close range.
Yet Celtic were unable to carry that momentum into the interval. Ferencvaros regained the lead in stoppage time when Yusuf worked his way into the box and found Kristoffer Zachariassen, whose clever flick beat Sinisalo.
The visitors then struck again almost immediately after the restart. Scales was dispossessed, allowing Yusuf to send ex-Celtic winger Daniel Arzani through. The Australian produced one of the game's standout moments, curling a ferocious 25-yard effort into the top corner.
Pundits have their say on Celtic 1-3 Ferencvaros
While Celtic continued to search for a route back into the tie, Petrov's concerns centred around their overall approach rather than simply their inability to find a second goal. The former Celtic cult hero was particularly critical of the team's use of possession, arguing that Celtic's midfielders were failing to exert enough influence on the contest.
“I'm a little bit overweight,” Petrov joked while appearing alongside former Celtic team-mate Neil Lennon on TNT Sports, “but it was so easy. When you have your centre-backs with more passes than your midfielders, you can’t dominate, you can’t dictate the tempo.
“It seemed like tonight Celtic were just playing safe – ‘I don’t want to lose the ball, I don’t want to take that risk’. When did Celtic start playing with fear?”
Former Celtic boss Lennon shared those concerns, describing the performance as evidence of a lack of confidence. “I think there is a hangover,” he said. “But you don’t want it to last this long.”
"We’ve all been knocked out of the Champions League, lost to Rangers, and then you’ve got to find your way into the season, find your best form. But you touched on the stat of Liam Scales having more touches than the midfield players – that’s unacceptable. That’s not taking responsibility.
"Three times in the second half, Liam is taking the ball out and playing straight balls to the striker or the No. 8, and they’re getting crushed, and it just breaks all the momentum. That’s a lack of confidence and a lack of players taking responsibility."
*The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly