Celtic need consolation from their dismal Champions League form

Photo: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

European campaigns have ended with relief at Celtic Park. A club steeped in joust with the best on this continent has endured so many lopsided nights since beating Barcelona in 2012 that they have come to draw for others.

Celtic will conclude their Champions League campaign against Feyenoord as they hope to improve on the dire situation of one point and minus 11 goal difference from five games. Only Antwerp’s inferior record in Group H gives Celtic a faint consolation.

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In this season, the first season of Brendan Rodgers’ second tenure, Celtic suddenly have wider concerns. Sunday brought the second victory for the campaign, at Kilmarnock. The stewards were given an air of title. Celtic came back to see St Johnstone a week earlier, but an amused Rodgers said he was “the worst man I’ve ever managed” during a half-time team talk. His team was defensive and passive in attack more often than is healthy.

After a meek surrender against Lazio late last month, Rodgers’ patience with the available resources ran short. Celtic need more “experience and quality”, their manager has insisted, to compete in the Champions League. Rodgers’ candors were interesting; For a long time, Celtic have been happy to wave the white flag and blame the wild spending of the European elite. They now have a manager who is not sure about the usual signings of project footballers.

Rodgers understands the reputation. It does no good to be in charge of cannon fodder on a stage bigger than Scotland. The Celtic board are now under public pressure to back their manager in January. Annual operating expenses were last reported at £95m. Kilmarnock’s first team squad had an annual cost of £1.7m in their final accounts. Financial diversification works both ways.

Supporters eager for Ange Postecoglou’s return make the Australian’s European record at Celtic also abysmal. This is a club that has been leading in Scotland while they have been slipping back in Europe for the last ten years.

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The recent shareholder agitations at the AGM suggest that the penny has finally dropped that such a situation is not acceptable. If Lens, Braga, Young Boys and indeed Feyenoord can make some impact in the Champions League surely Celtic can do the same. While the 2-2 draw with Atlético Madrid is impressive on its own, it is an exception to the grim rule.

It is futile to hear from others in Scotland, which is understandable on the basis of tribal rivalry. Rangers deservedly reached the final of the Europa League in 2022. Keeping this up – it doesn’t take much at Ibrox – Rangers entered the Champions League with a spring in their step. Six games later, Rangers had scored two goals, conceded 22 and failed to register a point. It was their worst divisional record in Champions League history.

Rangers are assured of European football after Christmas this time around and could still be in the Europa League, depending on the result of Thursday’s game against Real Betis, even if taking one point out of a possible six against Aris Limassol terrible wider context. Managers have generally held their own in the Europa League but their supposed scale as a club has been mocked by wild praise for this – which is regularly sought after. As the Old Firm screech and wear in Scotland they are becoming increasingly irrelevant elsewhere. Alarm bells should be rung.

At home, Scottish football has been left behind. The technical standard of the series is extremely low. Steve Clarke’s national team exploits hardly obscure this situation. There’s no other way to explain Aberdeen’s glee at taking a point from a trip to Helsinki or Hearts being pounced on by PAOK. Häcken beat Aberdeen in the Europa League replay; The Swedish team has lost all five group games. No one astute observer could have expected Hibernian to see off Aston Villa over two legs. However, the Premier League side’s eight-goal aggregate success was depressing for those who remember Scottish clubs at least being able to lay down the gloves against more accomplished opposition.

Scotland is still in a good position in terms of coefficient position but this is sure to change if results continue on the current poor trend. The big clubs could radically reform the Scottish Football Association or the Scottish Professional Football League to at least try to improve this situation if they had any meaningful interest.

Celtic could say goodbye to the Champions League on a high. Feyenoord have arrived in Glasgow with nothing clear to play for. Celtic’s last win in this competition proper was against Anderlecht in September 2017. You have to go back ten years for the last time Celtic Park came within three points of the Champions League final. Theirs is a painful record, which must be changed if glory in Scotland is to be taken seriously elsewhere.