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With Nothing To Lose, Bring On The Big Names!

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One of the nicest things about our qualification for the Champions League is that it brings with it glamour ties and the chance to watch some of the best players in the world against our club. No-one realistically expects us to qualify from a Group of Death, so it becomes about the experience of watching those players and our own.

You don’t want to be embarrassed, but I would question the use of that word in the context in which the press would mean it. Facing off against Barcelona or Real Madrid and losing heavily would sting for the duration of the night, and we’d be made to eat it for weeks afterwards, but those are teams who can do that to any side in the world on the night … it’s not something that would make me want to hide under the bed. I can put it in some kind of perspective.

People are discussing this draw from Best and Worst case scenarios; I understand that.

In previous years I’ve watched the draw and prayed for the easiest group. We’ve never gotten it yet; our knack for getting Hellish ones is much lamented. This year there’s a one in two chance of getting a team from England, and we’ve never faced any of them, but Arsenal – and then not in the Groups – in this competition yet. That makes a Battle of Britain draw somewhat more enticing than another trip to Old Trafford would have been.

Likewise, you want to avoid Barcelona for the sole reason that we’ve been there before and before and before. The place feels like a second home (like Hampden haha) but this tournament is about exotic locations and new experiences. To Celtic fans the Nou Camp has limited magic; it’s a wonderful place to watch football, but when we drew them last time my own reaction was a resigned shrug; Madrid, on the other hand, would be different.

I see little point in hoping for an “easy” draw. We never get one and besides, what does that mean in the context of this competition now? There’s no “easy” draw to be had; just a Least Worst Option, and that lacks the glamour of what we might otherwise watch, which is why you long for this competition in the first place. The idea of what they might do to us, especially at home, is a minor consideration; as I said, the really big teams can do that to anyone.

I wrote yesterday of the value that sometimes comes with defeat and of how that’s always better if it doesn’t come at too great a cost. Right now there’s literally no downside to a tough group; in fact, if you want the greatest amount of riches from the TV pool it’s surely better to draw teams from the bigger nations. If you want cash from the points pool then an easier draw would be better … but does the positive outweigh the negative?

An “easy” draw would still involve huge teams, and there’s no guarantee of getting the points anyway.

I want to see our players get the toughest possible test. It could be a painful one, but there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with that as long as your expectations are in check beforehand and you know what to expect. Anything beyond that is a bonus, as it was when Lenny was able to steer us past the Catalan giants in his penultimate season, and will be all the sweeter because of that. I think when we’re at our best we’re capable of giving teams a fright.

So bring on the big guns. It’s what this tournament is meant for.

It will help our players to grow and to learn and will have the cash registers ringing loudly.

It will help us attract better footballers to the club and give us a real shot at that marquee signing before the end of the month.

Give us the toughest challenge going, the Group of Death all over again.

In Brendan We Trust.

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