Chris Sutton has viewed the same old movie many times, from a variety of angles.
As a player he was involved in a couple of near misses in the Champions League with Martin O’Neill’s side near untouchable at home but unable to pick up anything on the road.
Latterly as a pundit he has witnessed first hand a range of European mishaps from failing to qualify for the Champions League to an inability, now reaching 20 years to win a knockout tie in three UEFA competitions.
There has been hard luck stories along the way but with just one group stage win in the Champions League over the last 10 years that view is wearing thin.
A predictably disappointing night… can’t get away from it that as Champions League groups go this was a gentle one and one point from five games in this group is not good enough. The team tonight really lacked physicality as well as real belief against a bang average Lazio.
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) November 28, 2023
This season’s draw for the Champions League was almost as favourable as it could get. Rather than a champion from one of the top five nations Celtic drew Feyenoord, a club with smaller turnover and a similar profile. Feyenoord have six points after five matches and a guaranteed Europa League place in the new year.
Sitting in ninth place in Serie A, Lazio are a shadow of last season’s runners-up with Atletico Madrid a good but far from outstanding side.
Next season the format of the Champions League changes, it is unlikely to get any easier for clubs from Scotland.
I think we’re all fed up being the whipping boys in the ucl and rather than hoarding all our money for a rainy day scenario, (unless this board know something we don’t – yet?), we need to get a more physical presence in this team. It was blindingly obvious last night.