Let’s address it – Rangers reaching the UEFA Europa League final is an obvious talking point for Celtic supporters today. There’s no point pretending otherwise.
They’re our biggest rivals and they’ve managed to get to a major European final. We don’t have to like it, but it’s happening all the same.
What I care about is not how they got there or what it means for them, but how Celtic can respond in the coming years and become a team that the continent is speaking about.
There have been many reactions to what has occurred this week and how it relates to the Bhoys. Some have blamed the Celtic board for taking European football for granted over the last decade, others feel this manager and the players should have done far better against Bodo/Glimt.
As always, there’s a slice of truth in all corners. But it’s not about what has happened in the past. All that matters is the future.
The reality is simple – Celtic have to improve in Europe and shed the embarrassing record of having not progressed through a knockout round in any UEFA competition since 2004. That’s it. There’s no hiding from it. There’s no sugarcoating it.
We have to shed excuses of it being too difficult to compete with clubs around Europe. Rangers have shown over the last few years that you can shake up the Europa League if nothing else.
Cries of a money gap only bring you so far. In fact, compared to a lot of European clubs Celtic have a healthy turnover, even more so when boosted by Champions League cash.
It’s obviously not at the level of the elite, but it’s enough to throw punches and it’s certainly enough to expect better than what we witnessed in the Conference League this season or against Copenhagen two years ago.
Thankfully, Ange Postecoglou has similar ambitions. He was as disappointed as anyone we went out to the Norwegian champions this term and he’ll be trying harder than anyone to address that next season.
Last October he told reporters: “For me, it’s not just about getting a result. It’s also about playing football that maybe other nations and clubs will notice. If we can do that then we will raise the profile of the local game as well.
“Scottish clubs have always picked up results against bigger opposition in Europe. That’s part of the history and tradition of the game here.
“But part of it for me is to hopefully get the rest of Europe talking about the football we are playing, as well as the results we get.”
The manager understands the potential of Celtic and will be the last person lining up to offer the tired excuses we’ve heard from some for a number of years.
Ultimately there’s another truth that Celtic’s harshest critics have to remember too.
This season was never about Europe. It was never about dominating Rangers. It was about rebuilding a tattered squad, giving supporters their pride back and putting foundations in place for the future.
Postecoglou has done that and more.
So yes, expect progress in European football. Dream a little. Let Rangers having a strong European run fuel your passion for more from Celtic. But don’t warp the perception of what has been a fine season for the Bhoys.
Give the manager room and time to make his mark in Europe.
In other news, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou delivers classy response to rivals’ Europa League run question.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
