‘Not Doing Well Enough’ – Bartley Slams Celtic Duo

Celtic progressed to the semi-finals of the Premier Sports Cup with a 5-2 victory over Falkirk, but the performance left room for improvement, particularly from new Bhoy Auston Trusty and left-back Alex Valle, according to pundit Marvin Bartley.

Trusty, making his first start for Celtic, partnered Stephen Welsh in the heart of the defence, while Valle was deployed on the left side in an attempt to impress. However, the duo struggled against lower-league opposition, with Celtic twice falling behind before calling on the first-team regulars to secure the win.

Bartley, analysing the Game live on Premier Sports, highlighted Trusty’s positioning and decision-making during Falkirk’s opening goal. “It’s a fantastic finish, we spoke about [Falkirk’s] Agyeman before the Game, he uses his physical presence and heads it back down into a dangerous area,” said Bartley. “I think Trusty has no idea where the centre-forward is though, he is going back into his own box, before he realises it, there is a shot from the edge of the box and it leaves Kasper [Schmeichel] with no chance at all.”

The American defender, who joined from Sheffield Utd in the summer, was handed the full 90 minutes, but Bartley felt his performance was far from convincing. Celtic’s defensive frailties were exposed early on, with Falkirk causing problems down the left side, where Trusty and Valle both appeared vulnerable.

Celtic Struggles

“I thought Celtic struggled down that left-hand side. Both the left-sided centre-half and left-back have struggled in the Game so far,” Bartley continued, pointing to Valle’s difficulties in dealing with Falkirk’s attack.

Valle, the young Spanish left-back, was given a chance to impress, but it wasn’t his best effort. Perhaps showing his rustiness and the fact he’s playing in a team that was already disjointed, but Bartley wasn’t impressed with what he saw from the pair. “These players had an opportunity to stake their claim in the Celtic squad and they are not doing well enough, at this moment in time,” he added.

While Celtic ultimately managed to turn the Game around, thanks to some timely interventions from the bench, including £20 million worth of talent, the initial display left Brendan Rodgers with plenty to think about, particularly in defence. Stephen Welsh, who returned to the starting line-up, put in a solid 85-minute shift, but even his presence wasn’t enough to shore up the backline against Falkirk’s aggressive approach.

Trusty and Valle will need to regroup and improve if they are to force their way into Rodgers’ plans moving forward. With Celtic aiming for domestic dominance and European success, there’s little room for error – and the performance against Falkirk will have given Rodgers much to consider ahead of the next round.