Alan Stubbs can’t understand why Celtic went into the Champions League weaker than they were a year ago.
A day after publishing record breaking accounts there was little in the way of assets on the park as Brendan Rodgers’ side lost 2-0 to Feyenoord.
Despite reporting a bank balance of £72.9m at the end of June just two of the seven permanent summer signings made it into the side that started against the Dutch champions.
It was hardly a surprise that Gus Lagerbielke and Luis Palma struggled to make an impact with Liam Scales and Alistair Johnston the only players in the Celtic side that came away with any credit from the match.
Without the qualifiers to negotiate Celtic should have been better prepared but Stubbs was left puzzled by the outcome on Tuesday night.
The Daily Record reports the former Hibs boss saying:
Celtic are not as strong as they were last year going into the Champions League groups. That’s a real disappointment when you consider the financial results that came out before the game. They’ve £70m+ reserves in the bank. The financial results tell you the club is in a really healthy position.
I thought it was odd for them to say that it’s there just in case they don’t qualify for future Champions League campaigns. To say that, for whatever reason, we might finish second one year doesn’t really send a positive message. I thought Celtic needed two marquee signings, especially for the Champions League.
Stubbs added:
This is the time where Celtic should be putting the foot on the pedal and driving it home, staying way ahead of Rangers and building a squad where they can become really competitive in the Champions League.
With projects, you’re willing to give them more time. But qualifying from a Champions League group is not something you can wait for to come to you somewhere along the line. It’s an instant demand.
You can’t go into the campaign undercooked and hoping that projects just in the door will get you through. The Celtic faithful will be wondering why they didn’t spend more in the summer.
Rodgers has matches against Livingston and Motherwell to get his squad into condition to take on Italian giants Lazio on October 4.
Fail to prepare . Prepare to fail
That should be this showers motto
Jesus if our defenders had been fit. That proved we had a squad that can hold its own. But they did loose and Liam scales has shown he’s a good squad player. You’re all jealous of The Rangers FC and their fluke to the final.
But the Scottish talent is not coming through either!
Two homegrown players in UCL starting eleven and only one who came through the Academy!
One centre-half out of five at the Club, who is Scottish and Academy. Welshy!
So, we are not producing players for the first team!
That’s a bad indictment on a Club who have always been mindful of quality, tradition and uniqueness.
That has always been the Celtic way!
zero pts humiliation looming in CL- by far the likeliest outcome ! Desmond and Lawwell need to go ASAP. They appear to have no ambitions for the club other than the Bottom Line.The departure of Ange has been a disaster.I’m very suspicious as to why Spurs suddenly get interested in an SPFL Manager given their resources. I don’t suppose McCoist and Talksport had anything to do with it ?
The utter failure of the O’Reilly,McGregor,Hatate midfield last night is very disappointing and revealing along with domestic form dip.If 4 first team ready players had been recruited this summer at a cost of £25 million say ,and then that entire outlay would’ve been recovered from this season’s CL money with 15 million on top and very likely Europa League after Christmas
We could’ve should’ve had McGinn and Ivan Toney in the Hoops- ffs think about it ?
Desmond and Lawwell are an obvious FIFTH COLUMN inside the club and need to be removed ! Hail Hail CL failure and we go from We never stop to We never start.
A defeat and all the negativity appears. Some of the current criticisms are right but the cards have been dealt (until January) and Celtic need to make the best of it. Three home ties in a CL Group (previously not guaranteed) deserve a positive approach.
It was the manner in which we lost that game doesn’t forebode well. A sucker punch floored us before the break. It was so predictable!
That question needs to be answered by the board. Our club is going nowhere with these charlatans at the helm.
Desmond and Lawwell out!