IT is extremely difficult to work out how Celtic supporters will judge Ronny Deila by the end of this season. He is the first and probably only manager of that football club for whom winning a lot of trophies won’t be enough for some. That’s a tough gig.
I would not go as far as to say the fans will demand their team do well in the Europa League – and what “well” means I’ll come to in a minute – but they do expect their team to give them some good memories in this competition.
For the first time in years, Deila and his men can’t be guaranteed to win the Ladbrokes Premiership, with Aberdeen a genuine rival for the moment. A cup win would be welcome – when is it not? – but the Norwegian really could so with a prolonged run in Europe and, after the draw with Ajax in Amsterdam, I do have a sneaky feeling they have a chance of doing just that.
I feared for Celtic before the game. I can admit that now. The players were under pressure, the manager certainly was too after a trying few weeks, and while Ajax may not be quite what they once were, any team would be glad to take a point from there.
It has been written and said many times since Thursday that it was a missed opportunity, that Celtic should have won and the red card cost them. Perhaps that’s true, but a draw is a great result. Celtic are good enough to give this a proper go on the evidence of that performance.
The Europa League is a strange thing. I do think that many teams who believe they should be in the Champions League and drop down to that level don’t give it everything. The Spanish sides do and everyone should take a lesson from them.
Celtic should. Deila should. There is an opportunity here to reach the latter stages. I have a feeling they will. I hope they go for it and enjoy the experience.
But this takes me back to 2008 and Rangers getting to the Uefa Cup final in Manchester. I worked for the BBC at the time and covered their away games on that run. The odd thing about that time was that Rangers were never that bothered about winning or losing until they reached the quarter-final.
Without naming names, I remember before the games that the feeling was that a fair few didn’t care whether they won or lost. Defeat was not a disaster. Rangers were trying to stop Celtic winning the league and the games were piling up. So they could do without more travelling.
But then there were four games and then two games away from the final. “We’ll have a bit of this” became the catchphrase, rather than indifference.
Celtic will, most likely, not have quite the same domestic pressure so they can approach the Europa League in a far more positive manner. It won’t be easy to get out of the group because Molde won away from home against Fenerbahce so are a more than decent team.
Isn’t it funny how every season we get surprised when a big team lose to a supposed wee team. The second, third and fourth tier European clubs are getting stronger. You really need to go some to find a dud of a side at this level of the game.
One reason Celtic can do well is the form of Nir Bitton, pictured, who has stepped up a level or two. I have always thought of him as a classy player, but one who was lacking in confidence. He’s found some now.
He scored a terrific goal and played brilliantly at the Amsterdam ArenA. He’s really kicked on and, for me, is making Celtic tick. Could he cope in the Champions League? Absolutely. The guy is a class act.
ONE more thing. I was surprised that the Johnny Hayes red card was not rescinded after the Aberdeen player’s tackle on Mikael Lustig last Saturday at Pittodrie.
Don’t give me that the tackle was at pace so you could understand why he was sent off. The Scottish game is all about pace. Everything is done at lightning speed. Do we now play at a snail’s pace? Hayes went for the ball, won it first and his studs weren’t showing. That is part of the game – or did I miss a meeting?
I think it’s time we got a definition about what makes a good tackle or a terrible one because you can’t have football without players being able to go for the ball without fear of punishment.
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