The stopper believes Celts were far too pedestrian in Wednesday night’s goalless Champions League playoff stalemate
18:45, 21 Aug 2025Updated 19:47, 21 Aug 2025
(L-R) Celtic’s James Forrest, Kieran Tierney, Adam Idah and Cameron Carter-Vickers (Image: SNS Group)
Bullish Cameron Carter-Vickers is adamant Celtic can still book their place in the Champions League proper.
But the defender admits Brendan Rodgers’ side will have to seriously up their game in Kazakhstan to turn that dream into a reality.
The Hoops face a daunting second leg next Tuesday with everything still to play for after drawing a blank at home to minnows Kairat Almaty.
No Scottish team has ever won on Kazakh soil, and Celtic will have to make history to progress.
Carter-Vickers accepts it was an opportunity missed at Parkhead but is confident there is enough quality in the dressing room to grind out a result in Central Asia.
He said: “We were almost in too much of a rush to do stuff. We’d get the ball down one side, then end up giving it away.
“We’d maybe have been better keeping it a little better, switching it from side to side, because that’s maybe when defenders lose concentration and we create that little bit of space we need.
“It might be the third or fourth switch when they switch off or don’t track a run, but it’s worth having that little bit of patience, rather than just trying to make things happen every time we have the ball.
“We wanted to get ahead in the tie, to take a few goals over there with us and that can sometimes lead to you forcing it, trying too hard, when a bit of patience – something we usually have – is what we need.
“Second half was a little bit better, even if we still didn’t do enough in the final third to get the goal we needed. We had them pinned in a little more.
“But we’re confident we have the quality and the ability to go over there and win. We’re confident in the squad we have.
“There’s definitely room for improvement in what we do next time.”
Carter-Vickers was let off the hook midway through the second half after Brazilian striker Edmilson pounced on a rare mistake and nearly pulled off an audacious 40-yard chip over Kasper Schmeichel.
Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel watches Kairat’s Edmilson attempt on goal go over the crossbar(Image: PA)
The American said: “When he hit it, I thought straight away it was going over, so I wasn’t too worried.
“It was just one of those moments that happen. The ball rolled under my foot on halfway and he decided to have a go.
“Kairat have done well to get here. They’ve come through three qualifying rounds to get here, so you have to respect that. They have a cohesion and a compactness that makes them a well-organised team to play against.
“But we can definitely play better than we did at home and if we do, I think we’ll win.”
An exhausting 10-hour flight to the border of China to reach the promised land of the league phase is far from ideal.
But Carter-Vickers said: “A lot of the boys here play internationally, so we’re used to flying long distances. Wherever we go, it’s just something we have to deal with and get the job done.”
Barely a plane load of Hoops supporters will make the treacherous trip east.
However, the green-and-white faithful made their voices heard on Wednesday night by letting rip at the board for ignoring Rodgers’ pleas for signings while sitting on tens of millions of pounds.
Carter-Vickers added: “I don’t hear much from off the pitch. The game has all my focus.
“The fans have a right to react however they want, but it’s our job to stay professional and deal with the job in hand.”