Chris Sutton’s assessment of this Celtic side in the Champions League – “Light on quality, light on physicality and light on belief”…
Chris Sutton is not so sure that by Celtic simply throwing some of the millions that the club has in the bank at their European problem that that is going to be enough to turn around their fortunes at the top table in European club football.
And the former Celtic striker, writing in his weekly newspaper column this morning, reckons his old club were less prepared this season that last year for the Champions League and believes that the current Celtic side is lightweights in all aspects at Champions League level.
And it’s hard to argue with his assessment.
“It’s not just a quick fix,” Sutton acknowledged in his Daily Record column. “Celtic are weaker than last season and have regressed. The squad’s going to take a lot of work to reach a level needed to make a serious impact in the competition.
“Mind you, at this point, any impact at all would be half decent. Like winning a game. But I watched events in Rome and felt they looked light on quality, light on physicality and light on belief.
“Some of them also looked fearful as they toiled to get at a home team which, in truth, wasn’t much cop on the night. Hopefully, Celtic can get a victory over Feyenoord and instil some much-needed confidence as well as getting a 10-year home winless monkey off their backs,” Sutton said.
Indeed it is that record that is disgrace and must not be allowed to fester into next season. How much longer will the Celtic support be prepared to turn up to play their part of the big European night spectacle at Celtic Park if the club is incapable of fielding a team that can win one home game in a decade?
Yet the game against Feyenoord comes after Celtic’s elimination from European football has been confirmed by the events in Rome in midweek. Lazio were a better side in 2019 when Neil Lennon’s side beat them home and away yet this time they were able to take six points from Celtic in the Champions League.
Sutton’s concern is that this final Champions League game comes in the middle of a hectic December domestic schedule that could have a major bearing on the destination of the title. And the Sky Sports pundit sees major concerns with the way Celtic are performing at the moment, and he sees this giving domestic opponents greater belief that they can get something from this Celtic side, as indeed Craig Levein was saying yesterday afternoon.
“That final Champions League group game comes in the midst of a massive period domestically and Celtic really need to get ruthless. It’s hard to pick holes in a side that haven’t lost a single fixture of the Premiership all season and have a strong lead at the summit.
“But, just as with Europe, there needs to be honesty. And the simple truth is that Celtic are meandering in spells. Last weekend’s draw with Motherwell was not a one-off in terms of performance. It was sluggish and it was lacklustre.
“Just as the goalless draws were against St Johnstone and Hibs earlier in the campaign when the other points were shipped. There’s also been games which have been won where they haven’t hit the heights and I’m sure opponents are gaining more belief they can get something.
“Celtic dodged a bullet last weekend because (the)Rangers slipped up the following day against Aberdeen, but they can’t keep opening the door because, at some stage, their big rivals could walk through it,” Sutton stated.
Celtic shouldn’t take Sutton’s warning lightly.
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