Celtic fans will soon hear the Champions League music this season as the Bhoys take on Slovan Bratislava in their first of eight league phase ties.
With the draw throwing up some exciting fixtures, Brendan Rodgers has set out his aim to reach the knockout playoff phase as he bids to push the club on under his stewardship.
He stated: “For me, I want us to be able to get into a play-off position. I think that it’s a balance because you’re playing teams that are at a really high level, but you’ve now got 8 games.”
Some difficult away ties stand in the way. Travelling to Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta early on will stack the odds against Celtic, while a trip to Aston Villa in January is another tall order.
The Bhoys may feel they have a better chance of securing progression based on their home clashes. Bratislava, Young Boys, Brugge, and even RB Leipzig offer the opportunity to claim precious points.
While build-up ensues ahead of another European venture, you can’t help but feel sweeping optimism in the air.
Celtic fans and renewed Champions League optimism
Optimism is part of football; you would have to be a bit dead inside not to feel anything when exciting ties are on the table.
That said, Celtic supporters’ mood music of last year and this time around is starkly different, not just in light of the draw but also regarding general sentiment towards the club.
The infancy of Brendan Rodgers’ second spell in Glasgow started in strange circumstances. He had to deal with a significant injury crisis and a team in transition after Ange Postecoglou departed.
Granted, domestic results were racked up in the early part of the season, but the fanbase were aware that there wasn’t enough squad surgery over the summer to replicate the void left by the likes of Jota and Carl Starfelt, among others.
Bodies were brought in, though very few had established themselves early on. Towards the latter stages of the Champions League group stage campaign, Rodgers signalled the need for more ‘quality‘ within the group if they were to take that next step in Europe.
Fast-forward to the new term, and he comes across as a far happier presence in the dugout, during press conferences, and with the level of transfer business conducted by the club.
Couple that with his side’s free-flowing start to proceedings and the fresh layout of the Champions League format, and it becomes clear why excitement is heightened among supporters as Celtic look to make inroads in the competition.
Despite all this, the onus is now on Rodgers and his men to show why they belong at the top table. Celtic will be judged on how they fare, so it is time for action on the pitch.
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