Callum McGregor could have been forgiven for taking a step back from the responsibility of facing the media last night, after all as with most of the big hitters Celtic’s captain was initially left on the bench, before being called into action after an abject first half performance.

McGregor however doesn’t hide from his responsibilities’ and when he does face up to media scrutiny, as reported by Daily Record, he doesn’t do the sugar coating or the pretence you may get from others. Instead, his appraisals tend to be as honest as the shift he puts in.

That was the case on the field with a second half cameo that lifted his charges, and when he assessed Celtic’s performance post-match last night and over the two legs against Bodo/Glimt, that resulted in a third exit from European competition in a season For Celtic.

“The reality is that we didn’t play well enough over the two legs. You can talk about having the ball, controlling the game and creating chances. But at this level, you have to take them.

“When you don’t do that, you always give the opposition a chance. Over the two legs, Bodo showed their quality when they got their moments.

“It was difficult conditions on a difficult pitch against a good side.”

And Callum admits last night’s visit to Norway was always going to be a tough ask, chasing a two-goal deficit from a first leg schooling from Kjetil Knutsen’s side, however he feels the slow start made ramped up the challenge still further, and although pointing to good chances passed up, the captain admits Celtic just didn’t perform to the standard Celtic can produce –

“You are two down from the first leg so it’s never going to be an easy task. We didn’t start the game well at all to be honest and we gave the impetus. It was difficult to recover from that point.

“We had a bit of a go in the second half and we had the chance with Daizen Maeda to get back in it. But over the two legs, we have to accept that we didn’t play anywhere near the level we are capable of, or have been so far this season.”

For Celtic and Callum McGregor, it’s now all about Sunday’s visit to Easter Road. The manager’s decision to send out a shadow side to face the Norwegians was an indication his focus is entirely on the title race this weekend, as such it ramps up the pressure still further to ensure the decision to give up on this European tie is exchanged for three points against Hibs this Sunday. That pressure comes with a lot of responsibility, something Callum McGregor has in abundance.

Niall J