Charlie Mulgrew played in the last Celtic ever to make it out of the Champions League group stages into the knockout rounds, in the format that ended last season, with four teams in a group and two progressing in the competition.
There’s a new format this season and tomorrow early evening we’ll know the eight different opponents that Celtic will play, two from each pot, and one at home and a different one away from pots one to four. The points won go into one big group table and after every team has played eight games, the top eight go into the knockout rounds and the next 16 (finishing in positions nine to 24) will play off against one opponent for a place in the last 16 knockout rounds.
This, Mulgrew reckons is a real positive for Celtic under Brendan Rodgers and Charlie references those two impressive pre-season victories over Manchester City and Chelsea in the summer tour of the States as grounds for optimism.
“There’s a manager in place right now who is the right man for the job in terms of that,” the former Celtic defender said, as reported by Glasgow Times. “He’ll be working and doing things in the background that you don’t see in order to find out how he can do that. So I think it will come one day and hopefully it is this year.
“I’m very encouraged by the results against Man City and Chelsea, albeit it’s pre-season and they were friendlies. The players won’t get ahead of themselves and I don’t think anybody should. But there were a lot of good signs there,” Mulgrew noted.
“I’m sure the manager having had good experience at that level before – also managing Leicester in the Premier League with good results against Man City – he will know what it takes in the Champions League.
“They weren’t far away last year. They had a couple of good performances – not least Atletico Madrid at home, without getting the result. But it will be difficult this year and he knows it.”
Mulgrew continued: “But I think the new format will help them. You would imagine every one of the teams you play against will be top class opponents. But those teams will also know Parkhead is a tough place to come. You look at the Real Madrid game a couple of seasons ago. Although Celtic didn’t get the result and it was a 3-0 defeat, the performance was unbelievable.
“Whatever the format of the Champions League, it’s going to be difficult no matter what. Celtic will need to be at it and well set up which I’m sure the manager will do.”
Mulgrew reckons that Brendan Rodgers, despite not having the best record in the Champions League as a manager, is more than capable of competing at that level as an elite manager in football’s premier club competition.
“Brendan at Leicester got a great result against Man City at the Etihad ( a 5-2 victory in the Premier League back in 2020). He got it through having a great shape. They almost gave up possession, but then they hit them on the break with Jamie Vardy. So he’s showed he is now a manager who is adaptable.
“He’s proved his quality. He’s a real good manager and coach. He’s proven at Premier League level although, he’d admit himself, probably not at Champions League level. It’s not a competition he’s had loads of time in. But it’s something he said when he came back in that he wanted to do better in Europe. Hopefully he can bring that to Celtic.”
We’re reminded of this headline in Daily Mail shortly before Brendan’s return to Celtic was confirmed in June 2023. It clearly shows his intent to do well in the Champions League as Celtic manager and maybe, just maybe this will be his year.
