‘The worst footballer I’ve ever watched’ – Celtic fans lambast one player after what he did vs Roma
Liam Scales had a night to forget as Celtic were smashed by Roma in the Europa League on Thursday.
The defender scored an own goal as the Bhoys were thumped 3-0 by the Italian side at Celtic Park.
Evan Ferguson could return to Brighton in January after a disappointing spell at Roma, but the striker was in fine form on Thursday, scoring a brace for the visitors.
Celtic welcomed new head coach Wilfried Nancy last week, but the Frenchman could not have endured a worse start to his tenure.
On Sunday, Celtic lost 2-1 to Hearts in a top-of-the-table clash, although there were far more positives to take from that performance.
Celtic fans blast Liam Scales
Scales has impressed at times for Celtic this season, but the defender will want to forget Thursday night’s action in a hurry.
In just the sixth minute, Roma swung in a corner, aiming for the head of Gianluca Mancini.
Scales outjumped the Italian but directed his header towards his own goal, with the ball flying past the stranded Kasper Schmeichel and going in off the bar.
| Celtic | Match stats | Roma |
| 57% | Possession | 43% |
| 9 | Shots | 12 |
| 2 | Shots on target | 5 |
| 1.34 | Expected goals (xG) | 1.47 |
And the problems would not stop there for the 27-year-old, who lost Ferguson for Roma’s second, and allowed the striker to control the ball and finish for the third.
Celtic fans voiced their frustration at the defender’s performance, with one comment remarking that Scales is “maybe the worst footballer I’ve ever watched”.
Another said that the Irishman is “an embarrassment of a footballer”, while one fan said that he is “nowhere near good enough”.
One Celtic fan summed up Scales’ performance well by saying he was “absolutely battered by Ferguson for 45 minutes“, with another comment agreeing that it was a “nightmare first half“.
Problems already building for Wilfried Nancy
In some ways, Nancy‘s job has been made harder by the fact that Martin O’Neill had led Celtic to five consecutive wins before his departure.
The Frenchman is clearly attempting to install his tactics, and that adaptation will take time.
But Nancy did himself no favours when he was seen walking straight down the tunnel at full-time, without paying any attention to the fans who had shown their support on a dismal night at Celtic Park.
Speaking after the game, he said: “I would like the results to change today, but the reality is this is not the situation.”
Celtic will play St. Mirren in the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday, where Nancy will hope to earn that backing.