Celtic defence is a cause for concern

While the team were in Monday's Europa League last 32 hat anyway, but still managed to score three goals away in Croatia, you have got to defend better than Celtic did, that's the bottom line.

I'm sure Ronny Deila's aware of it, his players are aware of it and the staff are aware of it. Above all, though, the fans will certainly be aware of it.

If they want to progress any further they need to greatly improve on that front. To score three goals aware from home would normally mean you would be getting talked about in complimentary terms.

But to go and ship four at the other end, and the way they did, just cancels all of that out.

It was pretty obvious that's where the failing was in Zagreb. When the draw gets made, no matter who Celtic get, you are going to be up against a far greater level of opposition than Dinamo Zagreb.

At home, all three teams in Group D have given the club a hard time at one stage or another, particularly at Parkhead, and that's something which will need to be addressed before the next round is played.

Yes, the result of the game in the grand scheme of the section made no difference, but that shouldn't matter.

At the end of the day, if you play at Celtic, there is a level of performance which is required and some of the team, especially the back four, just didn't hit that mark on Thursday.

Whether the players are foreign or they are Scottish, they know what is expected of them. These guys have been at the club long enough and are aware of what they need to do, so there is no excuse.

A performance like the one we witnessed, collectively and individually, is not acceptable, and I'm sure Ronny is aware of that.

The manager has said he's partly responsible because he made a few changes to the team for the game, but I can fully understand why he did that.

He made the switches because he knew the result didn't matter, and it was an ideal opportunity to try out other players.

And it looked as if some of the alterations and tinkering he made up front weren't the problem given the three goals Celtic scored.

But the back four of Emilio Izaguirre, Virgil van Dijk, Efe Ambrose and Adam Matthews is not far off what it has been for a while, so that excuse doesn't really fit for them.

There is enough experience and continuity among the group to have made sure they kept Dinamo out more than they managed to.

If it was a case of the defence played well, but the guys in attack didn't cut it, you could maybe point the finger at Ronny, but not on this occasion. I know people say you defend as a team, but it was particularly the back four who were inefficient.

It was more than one that played on a regular basis that let the team down.

It's pretty obvious they need to improve if they are going to make it beyond whoever they get in Monday's draw, everyone knows that.

The supporters will know more than anyone how much they are going to have to up their game because they are the ones who have seen them scrape two wins at Parkhead while being beaten fairly comfortably by Salzburg.

Obviously Celtic can call on John Guidetti, who was ineligible for the group stage, and that will bring a boost. But, like I said, that is not where their problems lie at the moment.

At the end of the day, whether it's John Guidetti or Lionel Messi playing up front, if you play at the back like Celtic did on Thursday night then it won't make any difference!

Because Celtic finished second in their pool they are going to get a group winner or a Champions League team who are going to be even better than Salzburg, who looked a class act at Parkhead last month.

Whoever it is, you just have to take it. The first leg is at Celtic Park and you need to make that work to your advantage.

There will be a bigger crowd, I just hope their performance is up to scratch to make sure they are not disappointed.

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