‘Not Doing Well Enough’ – Bartley Slams Celtic Duo

HiWith a 5-2 victory over Falkirk, Celtic advanced to the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals; nevertheless, analyst Marvin Bartley felt that the team’s performance should have been better, especially from new Bhoy Auston Trusty and left-back Alex Valle.

Making his Celtic debut, Trusty paired Stephen Welsh in the center of defense, with Valle starting on the left side in an effort to make an impression. But against lower-league competition, the pair faltered, with Celtic trailing twice before bringing on the first-team regulars to seal the victory.

Bartley, analysing the game live on Premier Sports, emphasized Trusty’s placement and choices made during Falkirk’s first goal. We talked about [Falkirk’s] Agyeman before the game; he exploits his physical presence and heads it back down into a dangerous position. It’s a terrific finish, Bartley said. “I believe Trusty is heading back into his own box without knowing where the center-forward is, and before he knows it, there’s a shot from the edge of the box, which gives Kasper [Schmeichel] absolutely no chance.”

The summer transfer from Sheffield United, the American defender, played the entire ninety minutes, although Bartley thought his performance lacked conviction. Early on, Falkirk caused trouble down the left flank, where Valle and Trusty both looked weak, exposing Celtic’s defensive weaknesses.

Celtic Conflicts
“I believed that Celtic had difficulty along that left side. Bartley went on, “The left-sided center-half and left-back have both struggled in the game so far,” referring to Valle’s challenges in stopping Falkirk’s onslaught.

The promising Spanish left-back Valle had his moment to show off, but it wasn’t his best performance. Possibly demonstrating his lack of experience and the fact that he’s playing for a squad that wasn’t cohesive, but Bartley wasn’t impressed with what he saw from the pair,.. He continued, “These players are not performing well enough at this time despite having an opportunity to make a name for themselves in the Celtic squad.”

Even though Celtic eventually won the game because to some well-timed substitutions from the bench, including players worth £20 million, Brendan Rodgers had enough to consider after the first half, especially with regard to defense. Even though Stephen Welsh, who was back in the starting lineup, played a strong 85-minute shift, Falkirk’s aggressive style of play was too much for the defense to withstand.

If Trusty and Valle are to make a lasting impression on Rodgers, they will need to get better and regroup. There isn’t much room for error for Celtic, as they hope to dominate both domestically and in Europe. Rodgers will have a lot to think about after the match against Falkirk.