Get the latest Celtic news delivered straight to your inbox with our newsletter
We have newsletters
Get the latest Celtic news delivered straight to your inbox with our newsletter
We have newsletters
It is an undeniable fact that Brendan Rodgers was the protagonist of Celtic’s last crisis in the Champions League in the 6-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
But it is foolish to blame the Irishman for the difficulties and tribulations of a club that has not been able to let go of a gauntlet in this tournament since the days when Rodgers, still at Swansea, was part of the existing first team and played youth football. and the vote as Scotland’s independence had not yet been ratified. Ange Postecoglou has had his own misfortunes and is now the English Premier League favourite after revolutionising Tottenham. Attacking the coach feels like an escape.
Yes, there was a multitude of despicable performances on the pitch, but it was a familiar story before Diego Simeone’s side taunted 10 outnumbered men once Daizen Maeda gave his marching order, a move that angered Rodgers. No, there’s something deeper to the art here and Celtic enthusiasts need answers. A combination of apathy and anger leads his fans to ask for an explanation as to why his fantastical nights of a bygone era have become a horror from which they cannot escape.
The saying “lies, damn lies and statistics” is used in arguments to denounce the perception of infuriating data. However, there is no hiding the disastrous numbers behind Celtic’s Champions League record. This is just one win in their last 25 home games, two wins in 35 away games and the lowest win rate in the tournament’s history.
These numbers would already be hard enough to digest without taking into account the fact that a large portion of club enthusiasts know what good luck looks like in this tournament. Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan combined to play just one organizational level in their first 15 home games before Neil Lennon scored 10 numbers in the 12/13 season to secure a record 3 away games in the last 16 games in 4 attempts. There was a fan chant that started one day with “this is what it feels like to be Celtic”, and at the moment there is nothing positive on the continent.
The Green Brigade’s current absence is expected to make headlines at the club’s upcoming Annual General Meeting, but it is now certain that the club’s role in the world’s richest club tournament is about to reach a crescendo. Celtic’s struggles during a decade of dining at the highest table in European football Watch them sit in the ramshackle back seat and order from a limited menu. And the wrath of hardliners is unfolding because of the uneven nature of the club’s recent history. They proved to be absolutely dominant domestically, but they couldn’t make a dent in the Champions League. The mounting monetary effects do not appease enthusiasts who consider the current team to be of inferior quality to the one that competed at the same festival with Postecoglou 12 months ago.
And the lingering feeling of missing out on stars like Jota, Carl Starfelt and Giorgos Giakoumakis came through John Hartson when Atletico’s attack was in full swing. Speaking on TNT Sports’ commentary, the Welshman said: “If he (Rodgers) needs to improve Celtic in Europe, there’s no doubt about it, you have to sign more players and that costs money; You don’t do it right. When you’re signing players, you definitely have to give it a try, especially if the budget is there. . »
The ruthless irony for Celtic is that the more titles they win, the less likely they are to contribute to the country’s coefficient. This, in turn, will make it more complicated to unload the millions raised through the Champions League and participating in the Europa League on a shoestring budget has led to another kind of pain. Postecoglou’s side were outclassed, though not outclassed, in the UCL last season and there are compelling arguments that their action aspect would have been compatible like a glove in the Europa League. But a fourth-place finish ended his European dreams before Christmas and Rodgers is expected to do the same.
Next season’s revamped Champions League brings two additional games guaranteed, but the parachute to access IS is permanently removed. That means Celtic, if they win the 12th name of the last 13, will have to find a way to finish in the most sensible 24th to secure a position in the new knockout round that will take their Champions League match tally to 10. The shape makes it a difficult task.
Jason Cundy’s bombastic speeches leave no room for targeting, but his verdict that Champions League rivals lick their lips when Celtic climb out of the hole is spot on. And Lazio, who beat the Hoops at home in a game in which they looked extremely happy with a point: we are determined to cause even more misfortune when they face Roma later this month.
Alessio Romagnoli has said all the right things, but Lazio know that scoring a brace against Rodgers will give them an eight-point lead over a team that kept them in check for long periods in Glasgow last October. He said: “The home game against Celtic is now for us the most important game in the organisation. If we want to qualify, we have to beat Celtic. We prevented a Feyenoord team, who usually score a lot of goals, from scoring. “It shows the intensity we put into this game. They didn’t have many chances. And it has to be the same Celtic defender. We will treat Celtic with respect and give everything to beat them like we did in Glasgow. “
And Antoine Griezmann’s admission that Atletico knew the goals were going to come was equally telling after the 6-0 win in Madrid. He said: “We give our opponent a good reputation by betting like we did, moving forward and looking to score. “as many goals as possible. We didn’t need to do stupid things like play tricks or anything like that. Even at 6-0, it was vital that we kept playing our game and treating it like it was 0-0.
“That’s how we deserve to play all our games and we have to continue like this this weekend with Villarreal. I will play anywhere in this team, whether it’s in midfield or as a striker, on the left, on the right or in the middle. It’s mandatory for the club and for Diego Simeone. I think I’m still learning and I think I can still as a player. I’m pleased that we got off to a smart start against Celtic because we didn’t score enough goals in the game. His red card, of course, gave us credit and we had more area to play. But we had to keep betting at the highest level, even with the extra money. man. “