Holland, Turkey, Norway & The Need For A Leader

So, that’s the draw then.

Ajax, Fenerbahce and Molde from Norway will be the teams we face and who will stand between us and playing European football after Christmas.

These are all reasonably good sides, which should make for a good test at the very least.

I would say there’s a good chance of us qualifying except that you just never know which version of Celtic you will see from one week to the next.

Clearly we’re not ready for Champions League football.

Wherever you apportion the blame for that, whether lack of ambition, bad management or just the consequences of being stuck here in Scotland, that hardly matters.

This is our level at the moment, like it or not, and that draw reflects the mid-range sort of teams who will challenge us but should be beatable on our day.

I am not unmoved by this draw.

If we’re going to be in the second tier competition this is exactly the kind of group you want to provide some excitement without being murderously difficult.

You only have to look at the group that includes Spurs and Monaco to see how tough this could have been.

We’re all a wee bit fed up right now, as a result of Tuesday’s abject performance. This should perk us up a wee bit, although the prospect of Van Persie running at that defence does have the ability to chill the blood somewhat.

Better him than Cristiano Ronaldo.

I shudder even to contemplate it.

I am not counting on us being all that much stronger going into those games.

The board has to step up, but they never do.

One way or another, we’ve got six more European games in front of us and they are decent ones, ones that will provide us with a few tough nights home and away but which doesn’t put qualification far out of reach.

European football is a bonus at the moment.

Over on Fields Of Green, I argued, in the aftermath of Tuesday’s game, that one of the problems is that the average age of our players is much too low.

We need experienced, wiser, older heads … but nothing will benefit these players more than playing in European games themselves.

Am I suggesting that this year was a year too soon?

No, because that’s something of a cop out.

We should have had the beating of Malmo, no two ways about it, but this is still a very young side and they most definitely will get better as they grow on this stage.

We need at least one quality addition to this squad.

It will be a disgrace if it isn’t strengthened before the window closes.

That’s down to our board of directors, but it’s also down to our manager.

He’s taken a pounding in the media these last couple of days and has to know that the pressure is mounting on him.

If he doesn’t have the stones to demand what he needs then he’s a as good as resigned to his own fate, which won’t be the one he talks about charting for our club.

It is time for Ronny to step up and lead.