Celtic's almighty Almaty inquest begins: board meeting fly on wall, epitome of fall and £20m transfer tale

There can be no putting lipstick on this pig. Celtic's overlords will need to take immense culpability for this botched job as the Scottish champions failed to score in 210 minutes of football against stubborn but very limited opponents.

Even in the penalty shoot-out, Celtic could only net two out of five attempts. In what was a tie between two teams who barely have the required quality to grace the Champions League, Kairat Almaty deserved their bounty by showing guts and grit against far more exalted and well-paid players.

It was fitting that Celtic's fall guy was last season's golden boy Daizen Maeda, whose recent fall from grace epitomises that of this club. The Japanese missed a gilt-edged chance on 87 minutes to settle the tie before he hit the crucial weak penalty too close to Kairat's hero, 21-year-old second-choice goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov.

As the Kazakhs fell to the ground in celebration, the Celtic players stared at the rutted pitch in disbelief. Everyone knew how awkward an assignment this was, travelling to what is essentially Asia, at altitude, through four time zones and in stifling heat, but the stark reality is that this club should not be missing out on the Champions League to such a limited and less-resourced side.

Irate Celtic fans will point accusing fingers in all directions, most viciously at the board. With more than £50 million in the bank, their gamble of reaching the Champions League without properly investing in this team has failed. Celtic have in this calendar year sold key forwards Kyogo Furuhashi (January) and Nicolas Kuhn (August) and not properly replaced them. With their most creative wide player Jota sidelined in April with a serious ACL injury, there were no summer surprises for Celtic's hierarchy: this squad needed reinforcements.

Rodgers needed Balikwisha and Co before this tie

As it is, only Benjamin Nygren and Kieran Tierney were new signings in the starting XI over in Almaty, with a combined transfer fee of £1.6m between them. When the going got really tough, Rodgers did not have any fresh quality impetus to change the course of proceedings. It was telling that Celtic's only senior summer striking recruit, Shin Yamada, was left on the bench.

The sheer irony of it all is that Antwerp winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha - a long-term target of Celtic's - is due to arrive in Glasgow on Wednesday to complete his medical and seal a £5m move. We do not know how good the Belgian is, but clearly Rodgers would have wanted him before such a massive tie, not afterwards.

Supporters may also turn on Rodgers. By association, he is tarnished with this dreadful defeat. But listening to the Northern Irishman in recent weeks, it is clear that he is not getting the backing he wants. Maybe that is down to last season's marquee signings for more than £20m combined - Adam Idah, Arne Engels, Auston Trusty and Paulo Bernardo - have not performed well enough to be considered automatic starters. Oh to be a fly on the wall in the upcoming board meeting.

Stony silence will surely be the order on the journey home. So many Celtic players will replay key moments on the way home. They have the significant matter of an Old Firm clash with Rangers at Ibrox to prepare for on Sunday. Even with their Glasgow rival's well-documented ills, that has become a hazardous game.

A grim-faced Rodgers said after this match that Celtic showed plenty of endeavour. That much is true. This group of players cannot be accused of shirking a challenge. This defeat came down to quality, a team that has been shorn of its most dangerous forward players, a rapier turned into a blunt spear. Any well-organised, stoic foe can live with Celtic now.

That's what Kairat Almaty did at the packed Central Stadium. They have barricaded their way into the Champions League, winning two penalty shoot-outs against teams in Slovan Bratislava and Celtic who made it to the main phase last season. It will be interesting to note how they fare even against middle-of-the-road outfits at this level going forward.

A poor match with very little quality

After a fairly turgid first leg, it was evident early on that the second leg would follow a similar pattern. Celtic took 25 minutes to have a moment of note when veteran winger James Forrest saw a header turned over the bar. He and Yang Hjun-jun were tasked with being the visitors' threat out wide but they carried so little penetration and guile.

Kairat had some forays, although their best chance in the whole match came midway through the second half when an errant back-pass from Callum McGregor was punched from under his own crossbar by panicked Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel. The indirect free-kick from six yards was blocked.

Maeda then had his moment on 87 minutes when sent through on goal, but the Japanese showed the composure of a toddler and thrashed his effort over the bar. It had the hallmarks of his big chance in the Scottish Cup final back in May against Aberdeen, when he missed a one-on-one to win the trophy in stoppage time.

Celtic were better in extra time as Kairat tired, but they could not create a tangible moment. So just like at Hampden, we went to penalties. And just like at Hampden, Celtic came out second best.

This time, Idah, Luke McCowan and Maeda were the sinners from the spot, all three going centre-left with easy saves for Anarbekov. It summed up how impotent Celtic were across the two matches.

The Scottish champions drop down to the Europa League. Celtic are no longer amongst this continent's elite, on and off the pitch. Now for the almighty Almaty fall-out ...