A guest blog from Prince Trollface on the notion of the ‘Euro Hangover’.
I never thought I’d hear it so much this season. Especially regarding our players complete failure to turn up in many games domestically. Do I believe European ties take a lot out of them ? Yes. Do I believe this is an excuse to produce turgid displays and drop so many points so far ? No.
In 2001/2002, Celtic made it for the first time to the group stages of the Champions League. Players such as Mjallby, Sutton, Hartson and Lennon weren’t anywhere near the standards of fitness of today’s modern footballer, yet were able to compete domestically and in Europe, to the highest standard.
In 2001/2002, Celtic collected eighteen points out of eighteen in post European fixtures with a smaller squad than the current one. Veterans like Lubo Moravcik, whose legs weren’t in the same nick as they were a few seasons beforehand, still managed to do the business during the week and at the weekend. As mentioned, this was Celtic’s  FIRST foray in the Champions League, and impressively kept the consistency levels to a maximum.
The following season saw Celtic compete for a treble domestically and featured a run to Seville for an appearance in the UEFA Cup Final. That season, you could be forgiven if you remembered Celtic to be ropey after tense ties in European competition. However, as it was, Celtic won a remarkable 10 out of 12 league games after ties in Europe. The one draw was at home to Rangers, the other away to Kilmarnock. Two losses after Europe came in the League Cup Final and the Scottish Cup away to Inverness. At the end of a sixty game season, again with a smaller squad size than the previous season, Celtic took the title race to the wire and lost only by one goal to, what has to be said, a very good Rangers team. It must also be noted, after the win against Boavista away, we won 2-1 at Ibrox. But of course…’Euro Hangover’ !!
In 2003/04, we done very well again. Once more, eighteen out of eighteen points collected in post CL games. Including, yet again, a 2-1 win at Ibrox after a 0-0 draw in the Nou Camp. A run of 25 games won in a row, with the same team as the previous season.
2004/2005 was a season when many Celtic fans witnessed many players go through the motions and drop vital points at home. Yet, with Chris Sutton not at his best, Juninho kicking back with EBT’s and Martin O’Neill having a rotation policy on our goalkeepers, we still collected 17 out of 18 points post-Europe. And this was with Hartson at his most rotund.
Under Strachan, Many say the post European malaise started with him, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. In his first go at the CL, Celtic won six, drew one and lost one in post CL fixtures. The loss being against Rangers at home, after 120 minutes of scrapping at the San Siro. In 2007/2008, our record was less impressive, with four wins out of eight, drawing three and losing the other, again, to Rangers 3-0 at Ibrox. 2008/2009, Strachan’s last season, one in which many said the team was at it’s most sluggish, still managed to claw 15 points out of 18 in post CL matches, with a 1-1 draw at home to Hearts preventing a 100% record.
With the stats above, it really does put Lennon’s record this season to absolute shame.
The 2-2 draw with Hibs at home wasn’t a disgrace. Many overreacted, expecting us to gub Fat Penlon’s side due to their horrific campaign in 2011/2012. This should have been a wake up call for the team, but sadly, wasn’t. Domestically, Lennon’s Celtic still seem to think they can turn up and stroll it. We’re not good enough to do so and never have been. For teams who actually win the Champions League, they can afford to possess that arrogant attitude. For our Nandos Loving lot, it’s no more than a fantasy.
I believe the buck stops with our manager. We know the players can pull together and put in a shift, so why not carry on their midweek performances into the weekend ? We’ve got a big squad, with a fair amount of internationals, who have alerted the attentions of top European sides with their displays in The Big Cup.
Guys like Kayal should be bursting a gut just now proving he should be first pick again in midfield. Gary Hooper should be a goal machine and terrorizing SPL defences this season. Kris Commons, after a great start, is fastly declining as well and looking more and more unfit as the season goes on. Are they not being pushed fully by the manager ? Do they lack motivation ?
The SPL is our bread and butter and it must be treated as seriously as they come. Without it, there’s no Champions League to participate in whatsoever.
You can only get away with the ‘aye but Rangers urnae there…..’ excuse for so long. It was a transition at first, but we should be over it now.
I’m aware a rival breathing down your neck keeps you focused. It does as a fan anyway, so it should as a player for the club. So in return, we should be treating Hibs, Hearts and every other club as our big rivals because God knows they’re fully capable of mounting a decent challenge and taking advantage of our erratic form as we’re seeing this season.
Tonight, I hope, we go out with a professional attitude and carry the form into the gruelling winter months, which aren’t glamorous, but crucial in any league winning campaign.
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