Celtic Fan View: This week sums up Bhoys' season

Within the space of 72 hours, Celtic Park witnessed the good and bad of this Hoops outfit. The excellent performance and win over Zenit St Petersburg quickly turned to frustration as the Bhoys were held to a scoreless draw against St Johnstone. These last few days sum up the season: flashes of brilliance but inconsistency is hampering momentum.

It’s hardly the most tumultuous situation Brendan Rodgers finds himself in, but it’s fair to say it’s the first time he’s felt some strain as the Hoops’ boss. The incredible consistency, level of football and results from last term have been difficult to replicate. Part of that has been down to Rodgers’ mass rotation policy which has disrupted the Bhoys’ flow throughout the campaign.

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On an individual level, some players have found it hard to hit the heights of last term because they’ve been in and out of the side so regularly. That’s had an adverse effect on the collective as the Celts have often been off the pace and lacking cohesion and fluency in their play. Overall, the invincibles of 2016-17 haven’t progressed in their second season under Rodgers. In fact, they’ve actually become a little boring compared to the team of last season.

Nonetheless, they gave us a reminder of what they’re capable of in midweek. Against a side of the high calibre and spending power of Zenit – managed by a Premier League-winning coach no less – the Hoops made them look extremely ordinary. It was a brilliant display under pressure, considering the team didn’t win a Champions League group stage game in the last two years.

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The onus was on them to attack and take a positive result to Russia. The Bhoys were brave in and out of possession, aggressive, quick and dominant for the vast majority of the game. This was more like the Celtic fans are used to seeing at Parkhead in European competition; not the timid side they’ve become in recent years. They travel to St Petersburg next week with a 1-0 lead but ought to have a more comfortable margin. As for Rodgers, he got his tactics and substitutions spot on.

After experiencing such a high, it was important to keep that feeling alive against St Johnstone. Unfortunately, Rodgers made seven changes which killed the momentum of the side. The decision was understandable and the manager stood by it at full-time, but it only creates more frustration.

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Not for the first time this season, the league leaders struggled to break down the Saints’ low block. There was plenty of attacking potential in the XI, but too many individuals were either lacking game time or were low on confidence, as the chances were passed up. Towards the end it became inevitable that the Hoops weren’t going to find a breakthrough.

Perhaps it would have been better to start the campaign’s star man, James Forrest, and Moussa Dembele, who needs a run of games to get into full swing. Instead, this stalemate only further proves that Rodgers’ rotation policy isn’t healthy. Rather, it leads to greater inconsistency in terms of performances and results, especially against sides that sit deep at Parkhead.

Flying to Russia with another win under their belts would have given the Bhoys more confidence in the knowledge they battled through a tough week. You’d still give them a good chance of progressing with the quality they’re capable of showing, however. We just need to see it more often.