Celtic captain Callum McGregor is ready to accept ‘everybody having a pop’ at the Bhoys after their 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
The Champions League result was a massive disappointment for supporters. Not because anyone believes Celtic have a divine right to be shocking Dortmund on their own turf, but because it was a collapse we’ve seen too often over the last decade.
Individual errors, collective poor positioning and a lack of belief all contributed on a dire night that Celtic must now show spirit to recover from on Sunday and beyond.
McGregor has seen this story before. He’s suffered a fair few big European defeats in his time at the Bhoys. He isn’t taking it as a hammer blow, but he’s also not running away from the critics.
In fact, he’s apologised to fans for what we witnessed and vowed never to let it happen again.
Callum McGregor says sorry to Celtic fans for Dortmund result
The midfielder said [Football Scotland]: “We can only apologise to the fans because when you play for Celtic and get beat 7-1, it is not good enough. Credit to them for sticking with us, and we thank them for that. We know that can’t happen again.
“I hate standing here making excuses when you lose heavily like that, but I have to say a word about the supporters because all credit to them as they stuck with the team, and that is a compliment to how well the team is playing and how well the season has started.
“Everybody will have a pop and that is what happens when you play for Celtic. I hate trying to make excuses when you get beat 7-1 because it is not acceptable.
“There are still positives because the season has started really well, and in the game against Slovan, we were excellent. It shows you what the level is like when you don’t quite play to it, and they have a good night.
“We came and wanted to be aggressive in the game, but we have been humbled a bit. We need to bring a better level of game than we did against Dortmund.
“We also need to learn that when the game starts to get away from you, can we shut up shop a bit and steady the flow of the game for five minutes? It is not all doom and gloom, but there are no excuses when you lose 7-1.”
Why Celtic’s Champions League campaign can still be a success
With six matches left in this new league phase, there are plenty of opportunities for Celtic to put the woes of Dortmund well behind them and progress in Europe.
Three home games are on the schedule. Win two of them and it’s more likely than not that Celtic will make it into the Champions League knockouts.
Another seven points would give the Bhoys a 99% chance of landing in a top 24 spot. So there’s no reason to be too despondent, despite the stinging nature of Tuesday night.
Celtic may struggle in the next match away to Atalanta. Even if that also ends in defeat, it’s very much game on when it comes to getting through. The big picture offers hope and that’s what to focus on now.
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