Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has said that Ange Postecoglou has a “big problem” when it comes to the club’s Champions League campaign.
Speaking to Football Insider, the pundit admitted that he is worried for the Hoops as they prepare for their return fixture with RB Leipzig on Tuesday evening.
The Bundesliga club defeated Celtic 3-1 in Germany last week, leaving the Bhoys bottom of Group F with just one point from their first three fixtures.
Following the latest setback, Postecoglou claimed it was up to him to show the players the “way forward” in Europe after a disappointing start, and McAvennie has insisted that a lack of clinical finishing has left the players in a “worrying situation”.
He told Football Insider: “When you get into the Champions League, it is all about chances.
“I would say over the last few games, we had about 30 chances – you take a good percentage of them, we have won all the Champions League games.
“We should have beaten Shakhtar [Donetsk], there is no doubt about that. We should have got a result against Leipzig.
“They have shown that they can go and match teams now. Where they were last year was horrible, it was an embarrassment.
“At the end of the day, people are just going to say there are the results, they are not going to say ‘you matched Real Madrid for an hour’. They are just going to say you got one point [from three games].
“It is a hard fact of life. You can wrap it up any way you like, but we are not taking our own chances. There is a big problem and Ange is going to have to sort that out. It is a worrying situation at the moment.
“We should be going through to the next round of the Champions League, because we should have beaten Shakhtar.“
TIF Thoughts on Celtic and Europe…
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Indeed, the Celts are in a precarious situation on the continent, but with two home games to come, their race may not yet be run.
Against current holders Real Madrid last month, Postecoglou’s side created one big chance and struck the woodwork as well as having seven shots from inside the area.
They ultimately succumbed to a 3-0 defeat, but with Leipzig’s only win on the road this season coming against lower-league Teutonia Ottensen in the DFB Pokal, that Parkhead atmosphere could prove fruitful and ignite the club’s Champions League campaign on Tuesday night.
However, with the manager sweating on the fitness of Jota, it could represent a big blow for the Aussie coach and his side.