Aberdeen did the unthinkable this weekend, defeating Celtic in a final at Hampden Park to win the Scottish Cup. It was a game worth forgetting, with both teams scoring through own goals and it ending 1-1. Ultimately, misses from Callum McGregor and Alistair Johnston from the sport proved costly for Brendan Rodgers' side.
There were other Celtic players who will have question marks around them coming out of the final. Kasper Schmeichel was the one who made a mess of things in the 83rd minute to bring Aberdeen level, when it had looked like the Hoops were on their way to another treble. Daizen Maeda also missed a glorious chance.
The cracks have been visible for a while, and unfortunately, in the Scottish Cup final, there was no papering over them anymore. It feels like a cycle has come to an end with this squad and it is time for an overhaul in the summer. Celtic overlooked the signs in the summer of 2020 and we all know how things turned out as a result.
Of course, Rodgers deserves his fair share of criticism as well. And Celtic fans let their feelings be known after the defeat at the hands of Aberdeen.
Brendan Rodgers slammed by Celtic fans for final defeat
One Celtic fan wrote regarding the final: "Embarrassing from every player and Rodgers tactics and subs cost us. Nothing short of a total embarrassment."
There were a few overreacting to the result as well, as one wrote: "Tell Brendan he’s free to go."
Well, the signs had been there for a while. Celtic have been shaky since the turn of the year, losing two Glasgow Derbies and drawing one against arguably the worst Rangers team in recent memory. They have dropped other games as well and seem to struggle in meaningful ones.
There are a number of positions where they need to strengthen. Bringing in a striker would not be a bad idea, no matter how many goals Maeda has scored since the departure of Kyogo. Perhaps it is time about finally signing a long-term goalkeeper as well rather than constantly bringing in veterans to fill the void for the short term. The midfield and wing departments need work as well.