Thus far this season, Kasper Schmeichel’s Celtic tenure in the Scottish Premiership has gotten off to a great start.
Schmeichel has helped Celtic stay undefeated at home this season, having played seven games and giving up only one goal.
Richard Dunne appears to think that the Celtic custodian simply doesn’t seem the same while playing superior opponents, though.
Speaking before Schmeichel’s appearance in Denmark’s loss to Spain, legendary Republic of Ireland player Dunne claims Schmeichel is doing something at Parkhead that he never did at his previous clubs.
At Celtic, “amazing” Kasper Schmeichel appears “sluggish.”
Dunne thinks Schmeichel is beginning to slow down and, at 37, has informed the big Dane that he needs to concentrate on other areas of his game. Dunne is referring to Celtic’s Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund.
Dunne stated, “Kasper has been amazing,” to Virgin Media Sport. He’s played in some really large clubs and had an amazing career. In addition to winning the Premier League and the FA Cup, he has participated in the Champions League and is currently a player for Celtic, taking Joe Hart’s spot.
“At37, I believe you should exercise extreme caution. You must maintain your quickness and agility, as Kasper has always responded to saves when he has been in goal.
“He has excellent line sense. Just thinking back to the Dortmund match we saw a few weeks ago, Kasper Schmeichel wasn’t the same player as we’ve seen in the past.
He appeared a little lethargic. wasn’t as quick to get to some points, and I believe that when you look at it right away, you question whether or not they are major errors. Most likely not.
However, when you continue to examine it more closely and critically, you may find that occasionally his position is incorrect. He’s not interpreting the shot accurately. He is not responding.
Why Celtic’s Kasper Schmeichel didn’t perform well that evening in Dortmund
Dunne believes that Kasper Schmeichel struggled against Dortmund’s superior striking force because the 37-year-old goalie is undoubtedly nearing the conclusion of his remarkable career.
Dunne went on, “It goes without saying that as you age, your conditioning declines. Training isn’t as effective as it once was.
“Kasper has also had a fantastic season. In the league, he has excelled. It goes without saying that playing in the Champions League raises the bar because you’re up against stronger strikers and other opponents.
And his appearance was a little rusty and lethargic. He appeared less focused than he should have. Normally, you can trust him when he has the ball in his hands, but he and the entire Celtic squad were taking chances.
“Well, with Denmark, it’s a different situation. They have a deep-diving defence that is organised and structured.
In that particular game, Celtic’s defence was lacking. They were quite impoverished, and Kasper usually manages to save them from serious trouble.
And just that one night, he didn’t, which is why I believe that at 37 years old, one should be at their best, put in their best effort, and ensure that everything is flawless. He just didn’t look great that night.
Schmeichel is definitely not used to giving up seven goals in the Champions League. Prior to that evening in Dortmund, the most significant loss was during Schmeichel’s prime with Leicester—a 5-0 thumping at the hands of Porto.
The most the Celtic ‘keeper has given up, even with Denmark, was four in a 4-2 loss to the Netherlands back in 2022.
Even though he won’t be experiencing the same outcome as Dortmund did at home in Scotland, Schmeichel will be anxious to prevent a recurrence of his suffering at the hands of Nuri Sahin’s team when Atalanta takes on Celtic the following week.
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