After making it through the league phase to the Champions League knockout playoffs last year, only to be paired with Bayern Munich, Celtic would have been looking forward to another crack at Europe’s most prestigious club tournament this season…
That is just one of the reasons why the capitulation to Kairat Almaty in that competition’s playoff penalty shootout in August was so disappointing.
The players pulled themselves together by telling themselves that they would now be among the contenders to win the Europa League. With the new format where there are no Champions League parachute clubs – and an extended league phase – the Hoops would be vying with the likes of Aston Villa, Porto, and Roma for second-tier European silverware. Now those hopes are already hanging by a thread.
Celtic has begun in the Europa League in a slightly better way than the Champions League campaign ended. After that humiliating defeat to Kairat, a visit to Belgrade to face Red Star was never going to be easy – but it did offer Celtic the opportunity to make a statement. A 1-1 draw in such a hostile environment is to be applauded. But the 2-0 reverse at Parkhead against Braga the week after had Brendan Rodgers grasping for straws. If you have read a good BetOnline review and want to place a bet on the winner of the Europa League, you might not now be backing Celtic.
The good news is that there are more games to play with in the extended format, so there is still plenty of opportunity to make up the difference. Ten points earned a playoff tie in the competition last year, while 12 saw you automatically through to the knockout rounds. The bad news is that the Hoops are currently experiencing one of their most frustrating periods in recent history and will need to raise their game dramatically to get back in contention after a tough defeat in Denmark against Europa League phase leaders Midtjylland, the current Europa league leaders.
Martin O’Neill was in charge of that match but before in his last European match as Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers picked up three points against Austrian champions Sturm Graz. So while Celtic’s Europa League form is worrying, it can be easily salvaged over the course of the remaining four games where essentially a minimum of six points are required.
Critics of the introduction of the new formats for European club competition last year argued that they made it far easier for the big clubs to progress. Although most of the elite sides did go through, there were some notable exceptions – and that looks like it might be the case this year as well. Celtic may not have won either of its first two games in the Europa League, but neither did Bologna, Nottingham Forest, or Feyenoord and a win then a defeat in match-days three and four leaves Celtic in a challenging but not impossible position.
It will also bring some comfort to Celtic fans that theRangers – the latest club to play out of Ibrox – has failed to pick up a single point in their first four fixtures and are rock bottom of the table at the half-way stage.
There is more good news for incoming Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy (his confirmation is expected this week) and his players – the only way is up from here. A team with the quality of Celtic will not be away from the top of the Scottish Premiership for too long, and there will also likely be a marked improvement in the Europa League. The fixture list does not throw out any immediate obvious wins, however.
After beating Sturm Graz 2-1, Celtic then lost 3-1 against Midtjylland. Next up is Feyenoord away from home, before the potentially pivotal home game against Roma. A trip to Italy to face Bologna follows that in the New Year, before the league phase finishes with a final game at Parkhead against Utrecht. Battling against some of the best teams in Italy and the Netherlands is not the easy path many Hoops fans might have thought this competition might offer after the team crashed out of the Champions League against Kairat Almaty.
As ever, the games at home in front of Europe’s most passionate supporters will be crucial to Celtic’s chances of making it through to the round of 16, or even the playoff round. Winning the remaining two would give the Hoops the ten points they probably need. A win or a couple of draws in some of the others – which should be possible if performances improve under the new manager – would see Celtic waiting to see how the playoffs pan out to find out its next opponent.
It may not be just on field issues that need to be ironed out for Celtic to get better, however. The increasing frustration of the fans regarding the inaction of the club’s board is creating plenty of tensions around the ground with the support unhappy with the Board for consecutive failings in both transfer windows in 2025, despite the club sitting on a cash mountain close to £100m.
Footballers of international standard might be expected to block out distractions that have nothing to do with action on the pitch, but it is only natural that an uneasy feeling around the club would filter down to the players, especially when the manager is removed amid the turmoil. Martin O’Neill though stepped in and delivered three consecutive domestic victories after Celtic had lost the final two league matches under Brendan Rodgers at Dundee and Hearts.
It took all of Martin O’Neill’s experience and management skills to get things back on track and he has Celtic in a better place ahead of Nancy’s arrival.
The way the season has developed in the last few months suggests that Celtic probably has little chance of adding the Europa League to its long list of honours, including of course the European Cup, now called the Champions League. Celtic do however have a much better chance than theRangers, and in Glasgow that means something at least.
But there is still time for the Hoops to turn things around in this Europa League campaign. A more cohesive approach in general, and more decisive finishing up front, can really transform the way Celtic goes into the second half of the season under the new boss. There may be some tensions and unhappiness around Paradise this season, but there is room to turn this into a decent campaign despite the challenges.
In the end, it is the results that will ultimately change the mood, and if Celtic can win two or three of their next few Europa League fixtures, the potential for another celebration at the Besiktas Stadium in Istanbul next May cannot be totally ruled out.
Thinking about winning the europa league is bit of a stretch of the imagination at present?
Our next 2 europa league matches, are followed by hibs away and the minis at home.
Can’t recall a time, when you could consider 2 SPFL league matches, as potentially more important than getting needed results in European games beforehand, especially against respectable European opposition?
But that is the prospect we are currently looking at imo?
We are still some way from getting back to CL levels within our squad, so europa league is potentially the right level for ourselves at present imo.
Even at that, not having the quality factor that CCV, AJ and Jota provide at European level is a big ask to be without.
Places extra pressure upon the squad strength, with player fatigue and lacking in the squad rotation policy, required for the Thursday/ Sunday turnaround in matches.
Personally think that 6 points gained in the SPFL is a bigger requirement, than achieving 6 points in the europa league imo.
Yet there remains a demand within our club, to gain 3 points in every game we compete within?
Of course the likes is possible, despite a very big ask, so could be a case of prioritising games for getting results, as things stand at present, especially with such an injury list in operation.
For the europa league, it’s just about trying to get out of the league phase, and seeing where we are at, regarding our squad come the end of January.
Don’t believe we are in a position to lose to much ground within an SPFL title race whatsoever.
Would like to think that our squad building process, starts taking into account the amount of matches, some of our higher quality players are expected to preform within during the course of an entire season.
May mean 2nd choice player’s in positions are required to step up moreso, with the demands involved within the footballing calendar.
Bigger players retuning and available for the knockout phase, would make anything possible for ourselves. Yet getting to the knockout phase is not going to be an easy task within itself.
Not impossible, but doubtful it will get confirmed before the end of January either imo?
If ever the time of one game at a time, ever been so relevant for ourselves, then that time is possibly now imo?
Aye, if we appoint Ferencvaros’ manager