A trip to an anonymous chilly outpost in northern Denmark gave Celtic their best chance yet of a first away win in the Champions League. They should have been in control by half-time.
On such nights teams like Celtic often pay dearly for missing ONE great chance. To miss THREE is inexcusable. They did take the lead eventually and what a cracking header from Barry Robson, one of not many who could say they played well. And still they blew it.
It is incomprehensible how Celtic managed to toss that game away and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They crumbled embarrassingly and turned into Ragarse Rovers (as Barry Fry often called his teams!). What happened to the boys who manfully kept Manchester United at bay for so long? Mind you they did have 60,000 in defence that night.
Aallborg's goals may have been ultimately unlucky but there's nothing unlucky about letting a guy have all the time in the world to shoot from the edge of the box. Or to give another the freedom of your penalty area. That's just bad defending. Many Celtic fans were surprised Paul Hartley didn't start or at least come on to protect the back line. I think he does a terrific job for Celtic and he would've got in a few faces. But there were doubts about his fitness and we could all be a decent manager with hindsight.
Sure Celtic should've have had a penalty but SPL referees have done them a few turns this season - they are still in credit as far as poor decisions go.
If you go out to Barcelona or Milan fair enough, but Aalborg?! Come on! They may have given Villarreal a decent couple of games but let's be honest, they're rotten! Celtic should've wiped the floor with them. They should've taken six points out of six but instead took just one. No excuses.
A Danish journalist asked Strachan why Celtic's away record in the Champions League was so poor. "Because the other teams score more goals than us," was the rather predictable response. It's hardly a laughing matter. Eleven away defeats in a row. Two goals in their last eight away games. One point from 54. The sorry stats go on and on. Strachan didn't know the answer in the press conference or in the dugout. Admittedly it's a tough question but this baffling mystery needs solving and he's the detective in charge.
I feel sorry for the Celtic players because they're a good bunch of lads. But they're an honest bunch too. As they put their passports away, they will know that for all the talk of a deflection, an own goal and a possible penalty, they have only themselves to blame.