Elena Sadiku slams Celtic players for dreadful display

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The Celtic Star

·14 Oktober 2024

Elena Sadiku slams Celtic players for dreadful display

Elena Sadiku has slammed her players for their dreadful display in yesterday’s 1-0 defeat to Hearts in the SWPL that leave Celtic in FIFTH place in the table…

Kayla Jardine of Hearts Women shoots at goal and sees her shot deflected by Maria McAneny into the Celtic net during the ScottishPower Women’s Premier League 1 match between Hearts Women and Celtic FC Women at Oriam Sports Performance Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland on 13 October 2024. Photo Malcolm Mackenzie (© ScottishPower Women’s Premier League | Malcolm Mackenzie)

A woeful Celtic performance

A woeful Celtic performance at the Oriam in the capital leaves the Ghirls off the pace in the title race. They are now six points behind league leaders theRangers but do have a game in hand. To compound things, the gap between Celtic and Glasgow City who are in second place is five points. Sadiku’s side are now four points behind Hearts in who are in third spot and also two points behind Hibs in fourth place in the SWPL table.

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Fifth place is not where you would expect the champions to be after nine games but winning the game in hand against Queen’s Park with mean that Celtic can narrow the gap on the leaders and we play them at home next month.

Hearts head coach Eva Olid is all smiles after the ScottishPower Women’s Premier League 1 match between Hearts Women and Celtic FC Women at Oriam Sports Performance Centre on 13 October 2024. Photo: Malcolm Mackenzie, (© ScottishPower Women’s Premier League | Malcolm Mackenzie)

The SWPL1 is improve and is now more competitive

However the SWPL1 is improving in quality and there are this morning five sides all thinking that they can win the title. When was the last time that was the case in the Scottish Premiership?

UEFA Women’s Champions League adds to Celtic’s schedule

The team created history on Tuesday night by becoming the first Celtic FC Women side – indeed the first Scottish side – to compete in a UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage game. FC Twente ruined the celebrations as the Dutch champions left New Douglas Park with three points in Celtic’s inaugural Champions League outing.

Perhaps the tough contest five days before the league encounter with Hearts had an impact on a dismal showing yesterday afternoon.

Elena Sadiku gave her reaction after the clash against Hearts over in the Oriam. #HEACEL | #SWPL | #COYGIG 🍀
– Minggu, 13 Oktober 2024

Elena Sadiku was as angry as we’ve seen her

Speaking to Celtic TV after the 1-0 defeat against Hearts, Swedish manager Elena Sadiku was raging with her teams level of performance, “the first half is the worst performance I have seen, It was not Celtic at all. There was no energy, no confidence.”

Elena continued: “I don’t know why. That is something that got fixed in the second better where it was much better. There was only one team on the pitch and we created enough chances to win the game but unfortunately it was not to be.”

Celtic FC Women v FC Twenty. UEFA Women’s Champions League, New Douglas Park, Hamilton on 8 October 2024. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

“It is not good enough”

Sadiku has claimed that this type of performance will not happen again on her watch, “it is not good enough. I am just happy that we have players coming back who have energy like Amy Gallacher and Lucy Ashworth-Clifford, important players for us. I am very disappointed, but we need to learn from this and make sure it never happens again. I will make sure it never happens again.”

Celtic FC Women v FC Twente. UEFA Women’s Champions League, New Douglas Park, Hamilton on 8 October 2024. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Real Madrid Feminino in Madrid on Thursday

Celtic are now winless in their last three competitive games. Sadiku’s side travel to Spain to face the tough task of Real Madrid Feminino at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in the Spanish capital on Thursday in their second game in Europe’s elite club competition. Kick-off for that one is 5.45pm and it should be live on YouTube (more information on The Celtic Star later this week).

Regardless of yesterday’s result, once that is over with focus must immediately shift back onto domestic duties with a home match next Sunday against Spartans.

Bayley Hutchison sees her shot saved by Celtic goalkeeper Kelsey Daugherty during the ScottishPower Women’s Premier League 1 match between Hearts and Celtic at Oriam Sports Performance Centre on 13 October 2024. Photo Malcolm Mackenzie(© ScottishPower Women’s Premier League | Malcolm Mackenzie)

To relinquish title would be a failure

Undoubtedly, the aim before a ball was kicked this season would have been to keep the league title firmly in the trophy cabinet at Paradise. To relinquish that would be a failure.

A rocky period in the season, but the Celtic support has every faith this formidable side can reclaim their form and get back on track as they head into a congested fixture list.

Incidentally there’s an unrivalled match report and analysis up on The Celtic Star, the best place on the internet for coverage of Celtic FC Women through the good times and the tougher moments. Interesting that the tabloids were all over Celtic’s defeat yesterday when usually they completely ignore the women’s game.

Conor Spence

Kayla Jardine celebrates after the deflected own goal during the ScottishPower Women’s Premier League 1 match between Hearts and Celtic at Oriam Sports Performance Centre, on 13 October 2024. Photo: Malcolm Mackenzie (© ScottishPower Women’s Premier League | Malcolm Mackenzie)