Yesterday, the manager and the captain gave their pre-match interviews, and I thought both were very interesting. The captain expressed his disappointment in our previous forays into the Champions League. I want to give him a bit of benefit of the doubt here because what the media never seems to want to discuss is the quality of the teams we’ve consistently faced in this competition. If we’ve landed an easier draw this time around, then it’s because we were due one.
Hearing the captain say that the whole team knows the club has to do better and wants to take that next step is encouraging. In light of tonight’s game and what’s at stake, it’s a positive message. It’s also encouraging when we think ahead to the Villa game, which I talked about earlier. And while I do think the captain is engaging in a bit of unnecessary self-flagellation, there have been some unacceptable performances and results over the years.
We have a chance to right a lot of wrongs tonight. It won’t completely change the narrative around our club or our European record because the media will never let that go. But we belong on the Champions League stage.
If we get through tonight and qualify, we can hope for a good draw in the next round, giving us at least a fighting chance. If we get to the last 16, suddenly this is no joke anymore. It’ll boost our club coefficient and the national one too. While that won’t help us much for next season, it could have an impact on the season after that. At the very least, it might prevent a complete collapse of the national coefficient, which would cause real problems.
It’s a big night for everyone, and the manager was in good form yesterday as he laid out expectations for the team. He also did something that brought me satisfaction, as I mentioned in a piece yesterday. He clarified the position he took when he returned to Celtic at the start of last season and addressed comments he made at his opening press conference.
Regular readers will know I critiqued Keith Jackson’s column yesterday, where he claimed Rodgers had promised the sun, the moon, and the stars in this season’s Champions League. Rodgers did no such thing. I don’t mind when the media gets facts wrong, but I do mind when they invent them out of thin air. That’s exactly what Jackson did. Rodgers only talked about making tangible progress, and tangible progress has been made—whether we qualify or not. Of course, that progress will be much clearer if we go through. But either way, there’s no doubt we’ve taken steps forward in this competition.
The manager was quick to point out yesterday that he never over-promised. He knows how tough this competition is. We could have drawn a much harder group and faced a vastly different scenario tonight. Rodgers understands how foolish it would have been to make grandiose promises that this club isn’t in a position to guarantee. So much in football depends on luck—on fortune in the draw. If we’d been in a group of death, the media would still find a way to hold that against us.
When Rodgers clarified that yesterday, it was music to my ears. It echoed what I’d written and was a slap in the face to those trying to put words in his mouth. He knows what some people in the media are up to, and he’s not going to let them get away with it. I’m always pleased when Rodgers comes out swinging against the media and their twisted narratives.
This is a high-pressure evening—there’s no escaping that. It’s a must-win game. It’s a home tie, and these are the ones where you’re expected to get a result. If we succeed tonight, we’ll have taken 10 points out of a possible 12 at home and 12 critical points overall. By anyone’s standards, that is progress. The media may try to deny or twist it, but that’s a fact.
Now it’s up to the manager and the players to deliver. It’s also up to us, the supporters, to make the right noise, give the right backing, and provide the team with the support they need. The manager and captain have made it clear they’re focused and determined, which is reassuring. The mental preparation is done. Now, it’s all about delivering on the pitch.
Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images
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It’s hard to imagine us not doing the business tonight, the players will be fully motivated and as long as they apply themselves fully, a victory will undoubtedly be the final outcome. The fans, as always in European ties, will also do their bit and roar us to success.
COYBIG
We are definitely doing the business Johnny…
So is Hugh Dallas –
Three disallowed in thirty bloody minutes !