Davie Hay has issued a fierce criticism of Celtic for their defeat against Zenit St Petersburg, echoing the frustrations of most fans.
The Celtic Ambassador was known for his winning mentality as he broke into the team that contained most of the Lisbon Lions.
Hay loved a 50-50 ball and never knew when he was beaten as he developed in an era when Celtic were genuinely among the top five clubs on the continent.
Times change with money flooding into the game but despite that handicap there are still basics that should come with every performance.
Over seven days Celtic seemed to lose their nerve with the manner of the defeat from Zenit far more concerning than the scoreline.
Writing in the Evening Times Hay asked: “I cannot help but suspect that the time has come for a few blunt observations to be levelled at some of the players after the performance against Zenit St Petersburg on Thursday night.
“It is not that it was a one-off because we have seen these defensive frailties over and over from Celtic in Europe in recent seasons.
“And while there is a fair argument to say the resources of Zenit far outstrip Celtic’s, you cannot shy away from just how poor the club were on the night.
“And while there will always be a level of realism when you go out to a better team, I think the manner in which Celtic exited the competition is what frustrates.
“Having played so well in the first leg, Celtic showed an ability to not just compete with Zenit but to dominate and take the game to them but it just wasn’t there in the return leg.”
Hay added: “When you look at it on paper you have to say that there has been an improvement this season in terms of getting out of the group and getting into the Europa League. But while statistically there has been progress, I am not sure how visible that is on the pitch if the same defensive mistakes continue.”
Celtic stayed overnight in Russia after the match, trained on Friday morning then flew back to Glasgow in the afternoon to prepare for Sunday’s match at Aberdeen.