Ex-Celtic striker Chris Sutton says the Hoops’ determination to “score the perfect goal” has been “infuriating” at times this season.

Manager Brendan Rodgers is known for encouraging his players to keep the ball on the deck but Sutton believes there are occasions where the Hoops are overplaying and not taking the opportunities when they do get a sight of goal:

“The annoying part for me was this feeling they have to score the perfect goal every time. The one they did get was pretty much perfect. But how about an ugly goal at this level? Like the one Lazio got to equalise. I get the way Celtic like to play but there has to be some variation.”

“They don’t have the players suited to playing any other way than on the deck, so you can’t criticise them for not whipping in crosses. But it does make them predictable when there isn’t any variation.”

“To be fair, that is also something that has bugged me for a long time about Celtic. Trying to squeeze the ball through a packed defensive line when taking a pot shot at goal is the obvious choice is infuriating.”

You don’t hire a manager like Rodgers to play long ball

Although it is clear what Sutton is getting at, there are things you simply have to accept when you hire certain managers.

Rodgers advocates a specific style of play and, while the Irishman may have developed as a manager in between his 1st and 2nd spells at Celtic Park, he is still wedded to his original philosophy.

Celtic have scored 2 or more goals in their last 4 league fixtures

While Sutton is clearly frustrated by their lack of cutting-edge in Europe, the Hoops are certainly improving in front of goal domestically.

Their last 4 results in the Scottish Premiership are 3-0,  3-0, 2-1 and 3-1. 11 goals is certainly not a bad return whatsoever.