A fear of the Champions League with a preference for the comfort blanket of the Europa League.
Joy has worn his heart on his sleeve with some brutal assessments of Celtic’s faltering Europa campaign while on duty for CBS Sport in the USA.
Some might have dismissed him as just another noisy pundit looking for clicks, attention and interaction.
Behind Joy’s frustrations there is a lot of thought.
Not many kids from Bo’ness have Manchester United, St Pauli and Stirling Albion on their CV. Or youth caps for the USA because they felt overlooked by the Scotland set up.
A serious knee injury early in his career forced Joy into looking beyond playing for a livelihood.
Media seemed the logical step but with it he has taken UEFA qualification in coaching and club management.
He understands both sides of the divide. What creates success on the pitch and the need for a club to earn money, make profits and reinvest.
JOY SHARES HIS CELTIC ANGER AND FRUSTRATION
When he looks in on Celtic from afar he feels anger and frustration.
CBS covers all three UEFA competitions. On Tuesday’s and Wednesday Joy watches two Norwegian clubs in the Champions League.
Then on Thursday it is the time to watch Celtic toiling in the Europa League.
In The Herald Joy takes a look at the big picture around Celtic explaining:
You cannot fault anyone there when they post a profit at the end of the financial year. You cannot fault them for having £60m, £70m, £80m cash in the bank. That is perfect, that is how it should be.
However, they’ve got to remember they’re in the entertainment business. Scottish football needs a Scottish team to have success on the European stage. It is Champions League or bust for Celtic as far as I’m concerned now. To be beaten by a team with the limited quality of LASK is unacceptable for a club of their size.
Sorry, but Celtic Football Club is built on fear. They have a fear of failure. The strategy they have is that even when they don’t reach the Champions League league phase and have to go into the Europa League, they’ll be okay financially. Now, that’s basically fear.
Joy added:
I have started to look at football a little bit differently. I have become obsessed with statistics and analytics, with how players are bought and sold, with where the wins and the losses are.
Celtic have got fans all over the world. When you go and watch one of their games in a bar in New York there can be 250 supporters in there. That is how big they are. I see what they do around the world. It is truly special. It is hard not to love that football club.
But they have to try to satisfy not just their domestic supporters with success in Scotland but their worldwide fanbase with European success. I don’t know how they get there, but there definitely needs to be a push to take Celtic from being this domestic giant to being a force in European football again.
REPEATED EUROPEAN FAILURES
The bare facts about Celtic can’t be avoided, they are lengthy.
Six successive failures as seeds to get through Champions League qualifying. Eight fails in the last 10 attempts.
No UEFA knock-out win since 2004.
The drop in standards over the last two years can’t be avoided.
At this stage in 2004 Celtic have seven Champions League points from four matches.
Currently they have three Europa League points from four matches.
More and more outside voices are pointing out the failings of Celtic and missed opportunities. Joy’s name can be added to Charlie Methven and Anthony Joseph.
Solutions and answers are harder to find.
In just over two weeks Celtic hold their AGM. Shareholders have serious questions.
The AGM is about pointing forward, sharing ideas to progress the club forward.
If Michael Nicholson and Brian Wilson think that it is about delivering stock answers to keep fans at bay the troubles at the club will only escalate.
“Celtic are now unrecognizable to me.”
It’s troubling times in Glasgow, says @JOYPAULIAN ? https://t.co/81ohK2l1eD
— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 15, 2026
