When Celtic flew back into Glasgow Airport yesterday it didn’t mark the end of the Europa League campaign.
Inquest into what went wrong and the likelihood of qualifying for next season’s Champions League are already well underway. Talk of a domestic treble isn’t to the fore.
The stats fanatics will be in full flow, twisting logic and interpreting things to their own agenda ignoring the obvious- results.
The purpose of a group is to see where clubs are ranked over the same schedule of fixtures with Celtic finishing fourth and winless up against Molde, Ajax and Fenerbahce.
Results can’t be debated, the group table does that job. The bigger question is whether the club is improving and moving forward or not.
In the background the mentality of the players and manager has to be questioned. Immediately after losing out on a Champions League place to Malmo Ronny Deila said that his players looked frightened and scared, the following day he retracted those comments.
The six game Europa League schedule has been tough going on the Celtic support, worryingly there seems to be a theme developing among the players where they are questioning their own mentality.
What is said in the media doesn’t always equate to the true feelings of those involved but when similar messages emerge it adds to their credibility.
After losing at home to Molde Craig Gordon said: “I never felt as though we were ever really in control of the game. It felt like we were always chasing it. We are far too easy to play against. We can have no complaints.
“We didn’t break as quickly on them as they did on us. I can’t recall us having too many good counter-attacks.”
After the draw with Fenerbahce Stefan Johansen echoed that view saying: “We obviously need to try more – we look a bit afraid when it comes to the pressure.
“Hopefully we can get that off our shoulders and play better next year. It’s a mix of young players, a lot of the players in the group don’t have that experience.
“The pressure is there but in a club like Celtic, that’s what they need to learn when they come in.”
Throughout Celtic’s European history fear has played no part, if it had the club’s history would be entirely different.
In recent times there would have been no home wins over Manchester United, AC Milan or Barcelona. Three times Celtic have taken nine points from the group phase of the Champions League, under Neil Lennon they took 10 points.
Despite this season’s failings Celtic will again be seeded through next season’s Champions League qualifying campaign, if they fail to win the league other debates will take over!
Rediscovering the belief and attitude that has been behind the greatest triumphs in the clubs European history is essential.
Without that spirit, the drive to punch above their weight, to overcome the odds the odds become insurmountable.
The excuses are over, across the whole club attitudes must change, this season’s grim European experience can’t be allowed to become the norm.
Joe,
You are so right, Gordon strachan was asked are Celtic progressing.he replied,Honestly No.
The board need to do more, management and senior players need to take a long hard look at themselves,without reasonable investment the support will keep drifting away,the next few weeks will be telling.
We cannot keep going backwards. What are some of our support seeing when they stand by Ronny? Our euro performances have been dreadful.
We got knocked out of CL qualifiers by a team that got beat 8 0! I am now trying to switch off for my own sanity, I refuse to accept what we have become under Ronny.
He needs to go and needs to go now. We will end up in the same position next year again and what will Ronny say again?
Next year we will qualify for the champions league. Bloody jackanory teller you are Ronny.
Its terrible to see our great club being humbled in europe and to see delia being held in regard by some of the celtic faithful.
If anything if delia remains we can expect more of the same in europe and to see the same muck and drivel come out of his and collins mouth, if anything there divisive. Would now not be the time to rid ourselves of them and start building for next season.
Oh for two strikers up front HH
A reputation in Europe was built by great Celtic teams in the past that reputation has now been destroyed how the hell are we meant to compete when our board is only interested in selling our best players to make a profit and as far as i can see that profit is not being invested in to the playing staff.
I also believe we have a 3rd rate manager who is well out off his depth celtic and the cheaper option once again this can’t continue the empty seats on a european night at celtic park must be addressed its no were near good enough and this board shy away from it…HAIL HAIL
Spartan women sent their men off to war, telling them “Come back with your shield, or on it.” That needs be our attitude as well.
agree mate, but where is the money coming from…blood from a stone and all that….sure slag off Ronny all the half wits do that…do they have any other ideas…Christ Almighty put in Moyes…FFS..give the man some time and some cash…i think he knows his elbow from…but hell…let’s help the hun media and drive him out of the club…stupid support buying their shite couldnt make it up.
ktf-if we don’t -they all-they all want to see us die….trust me on that one-only people who cares about us-is us…i am not gonna help huns destroy our manager…
Joe, don’t understand this self flagellation by Celtic support about Europe campaign!
Does anyone honestly believe it would have been as bad with van dyke and denyer in central defence. Would the schoolboy goals have happened.
I doubt it!
Dodgy central defence creates fear in goal and mid-field for obvious reasons.
Given a season together will see a big difference in the current incumbents! Faith and patience please.
Honestly I have my feet in two camps of thought.
I applaud the fiscal responsibility of the board because we can’t forget that we operate in a dire European backwater. We are geographically screwed and no amount of re-branding or restructuring of the Scottish football product will change that.
You can’t polish a turd and decades of the SFA serving as lickspittles to the “peepil” has come home to roost. However, I am completely deflated by the last two years of European football. European nights are now a chore. What were once a genuinely joyous experience has become an exercise in restraint by not putting your feet through the TV or contemplating seppuku.
Seeing dross of the likes of Maribor, Legia Wasaw, Molde, et al, teaching my beloved team footballing lessons is too much to take. So who is responsible? Deila? The board? The Scottish football establishment? UEFA for allowing the disparity in wealth to progress unchecked? Right now I suspect that Deila’s time is up, he is out of his depth and cannot be allowed to make more excuses. Pity, I liked him. Time to move for Moyes before he is latched onto by some EPL mid to low table cannon fodder.
Time to be a bit more imaginative than raiding Dundee United whenever we want to realistically make progress on the field. Time to recapture the thousands upon thousands of disillusioned supporters who have come to see watching their team a chore and not 90 minutes of child-like euphoria witnessed from the not-too-distant past.
Deila’s contact expires at the end of this season so don’t renew his contract .
Bring in a Scot or Irish Manager.
Then the problem will go away( Deila) Aye right
Moyes has been mentioned ,was money his problem at Man U no it wasn’t.
He wasn’t given enough time to build HIS Team.
Lennon, maybe he would come back after leaving us in the lurch with little time to find a replacement,after managing Bolton.He needs a job now
The real problems at Celtic and any successful Club are the expectations ,impatience and fickleness of the fans.
We just feed fuel to our enemies and they are having a great time at our expense.
Deila should have won the treble in his first year,he took the team past Christmas in Europe.
This year he had to build a completely new defence and the rest of HIS Team.
Most of this team are young and reading what we think of them and the Club has probably made them insecure and afraid to make mistakes.
No one needs constant and destructive critics
Now our enemies and others have said even the treble is not enough so Deila cannot win.
Extend his contract for a year and support your Club for God ‘s sake.
Let’s hope Celtic Management does what is in the best interests of our Club.
Any players we sign that really sparkle, want away ASAP, that’s what VVD and Victor did. The club have no choice but to sell and get as much for them as possible. Losing our two centre backs from last season, has caused us all sorts of problems.
As PL said we’d be better off financially playing our games at 3pm on a Saturday, because our television money is so poor. That’s what any manager has to work with and probably why Lennon left us, that makes it harder to build a team and constantly compete in Europe every year.
HH
Ronnie Ronnie Ronnie Ronnie.
Keep the faith.