Neil Lennon needs to make a tough decision and stop relying on Jozo Simunovic to flourish into a first-team Celtic player.
Yes, Celtic’s elimination from the Europa League was a disaster brought on themselves as a team and not just by one player. But even then Jozo Simunovic stuck out like a sore thumb.
For the entire first half he looked like a ticking time bomb that was about to explode every time the FC Copenhagen players pressed. Thankfully, Celtic went into the half on level terms and even ended it as the better side.
And then they came out strong following the break as well, even putting the ball in the back of the net but was ruled out after the goalkeeper was adjudged to have been fouled by Christopher Jullien in the build-up to the goal. At that stage though, the Hoops were very much on top of the visitors and with FC Copenhagen needing a goal to stay in the tie, further spaces were going to open as the game progressed.
But then in an act of self-induced punishment, Simunovic played a disastrous back-pass towards Forster after coming under pressure from the Copenhagen press and the visitors capitalised to go 1-0 up. That cancelled out the away goal advantage that Celtic had and put the game in the Danish side’s hands.
Of course, ultimately the Hoops collapsed again after equalising late on in order to hand FC Copenhagen two late goals and a comfortable victory. But the fact remains that it was Simunovic who set the tone for the evening and without that mistake the evening could have turned out so much different.
Simunovic is nowhere near as good as a regular starter for Celtic. And his introduction has weakened the solid partnership that Ajer and Jullien had formed in the centre of defence.
What is done is done, but going forward Lennon needs to keep the Croatian out of the first-team picture as much as possible. Nir Bitton and even Stephen Welsh appear to be much better options.