So what is the problem with Celtic in Europe? Over the past 50 years (yes, 50 years!) with the odd rare exception, our record has been a total disgrace. Ok we have beaten Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan which sound impressive, but these have been once only occasions for the most part, and in the past 10 years we have succeeded to losing to unheard of teams, often beginning with the letter M – like Malmo, Maribor, Midtjylland – and now we can add Bodo Glimt (whose budget is about that of Dunfermline Athletic or St Mirren by the looks of their ground) to the band of those we have lost to.
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It has been going on for far too long and it is so deep rooted that we cannot really blame it all on one person like we used to blame Neil Lennon or Peter Lawwell. The problems keep recurring – missed chances, woeful defending, inability to pass properly, to retain a ball – and I am fed up seeing our team outclassed by a team who are fitter, tougher and can certainly pass a ball about better than we can.
This has been true of a succession of managers, players, coaches, and even directors and owners. Why must Celtic always break the hearts of their supporters in Europe? Why must we always hear words like “sloppy” and “naive”?
We cannot blame the Scottish set up. Look across the city and see evidence of a club that can play in Europe. We cannot blame referees. We have been known to blame defeats in Scotland on handshakes, aprons, flutes and referees saying that when they were wee boys they didn’t go to Celtic Park very often. Not only that, but some referees have been seen at some supporters functions of other clubs! And they even make “honest mistakes”! Good heavens! If there is any truth of this in Scotland (and that is a big “if”) it’ll simply “no dae” in Europe!
In any case, our success in Scotland has been substantial. For four years it was universal, predictable and even unprecedented. There is no real problem about how we play in Scotland. We have already won one trophy this season, and there might be more, we hope, on their way this season. The problem remains Europe.
For the life of me, I do not know what the answer is, but let us first think ahead. We will be playing in Europe before our season properly starts. GET WISE to that one Celtic and be ready for it! Let’s have no more stuff about “still looking for players” “our squad is not ready yet”. Get everyone we want for next season here by the end of this one! Be a step ahead.
As for the players, they really have to work on basic things like not giving the ball away and not fouling. Set piece defending really has to become simple. Never mind zonal marking.”Tak a man apiece” said Sunny Jim repeatedly. “You, take that man!” “You, watch him!” “You, watch the blonde guy!” Every defender has a man each. It is his job to make sure that he doesn’t score.
And goal scoring! Resist the temptation to hit the ball over the bar! Keep it low. It is more difficult for a goalkeeper to go down than it is to go up. Practise shooting every day.
But also, learn as a team to hold on the ball and to pass to each other. That is certainly one area in which almost every European team is better than Celtic are. It is a skill that we really must develop.
The crowd at Celtic Park? Rightly we enjoy the reputation for having one of the best atmospheres in the world. It is spine tingling stuff, no doubt about that, BUT at European level, it does not paralyse the opposition. Funnily enough, it did paralyse Rangers on 2 February. What was the reason for that?
The season is now at what Sir Alex Ferguson called the “sharp end”. It can still be a great season for us, but oh! how I wanted to be scrolling my phone all morning to see who we got in the draw!
Time to end this European under-achievement! Get up off your knees, Celtic!
David Potter
Brilliant article David
The idea that the same tactics we use in Scottish games is good enough to get results against European opposition strikes me as bizarre. Surely, a different approach is necessary when playing Bodo/Glimpt and Raith Rovers. A more solid formation in Europe might make us harder to score against.
Every single manager has had the same issue since Sir Jock……Only partial investment in low budget players.
the reality is we are an average team with average players and a poor defensive organisation who can get away with it in a poor spl but not in europe,every problem you mentioned is simply down to training,tactics and fitness not good enough,we also need plans A,B and C to impliment for different opposition.its also time people stopped moaning about money,every team you mentioned we have lost to have nowhere near our budget to spend.we are years away from being good enough to compete in europe.
Yep,that’s the truth. For a start our players are not as good as we think they are . Take Jota in the first leg,totally nullified by Bodo. No wonder he didn’t play in the second game. Bodo had worked out how to play him.Ange also comprised his “ I want to win every game philosophy “ by sending out the team he did I. If we go into the CL next season we’ll need at least 5/6 new players. If we don’t have them 1-5 might seem like a good result. Ah well ,as long as we beat the huns we’re European champions lol.