LASK is a difficult draw, but one Celtic can overcome, especially with Martin O’Neill at the helm. However we all remember the ghosts of Maribor, Malmo, AEK, Cluj, Ferencvaros, Midtjylland and Kairat Almaty…
Celtic were yesterday drawn against Austrian Champions LASK in the Champions League play-offs, and are arguably the toughest side we could have faced from the list of teams in our half of the draw.
LASK won the Austrian double last year, and in a league that contains RB Salzburg, SK Sturm Graz and our old pals Rapid Vienna it’s a magnificent achievement, and showcases the ability they undoubtedly possess.
Managed by former Austrian International Didi Kuhbauer, LASK won both of the top honours in Austria, only the second time they had won either trophy in their 126 year history.
We know that Austrians sides are notoriously hard to beat, as our recent history with RB Salzburg shows, although we can also point to our win against SK Sturm Graz in last year’s Europa League, at a period we were at one of our low ebbs in what was a topsy turvy season that thankfully ended on an incredible high.
LASK will be a tough opponent, but Martin O’Neill won’t underestimate them, something we were guilty of doing with Kairat Almaty at the same stage this time last year. Certainly our Board were as they didn’t bother to bring in the signing that could have got us over the line in that tie and brought in an additional £40m in Champions League income.
It wasn’t only the Board in my view. It was the entire club who were guilty of complacency including Brendan Rodgers and the players. Although they won’t admit it, they all assumed the Kazakh side would be an easier task than it turned out, and we know how that ended!
In Brendan’s defence he did spend the summer flagging up the urgent need of transfers, particularly a striker and that never happened. That isn’t on him it’s on Michael Nicholson and a year down the line we are relying on the same man to help the current manager ahead of the latest Champions League play-off.
Let’s be positive by noting that this time around it will be different, as we have Martin O’Neill in charge, and his record in European competition is exemplary. Something he proved on a few occasions last year when he led the side to away victories over Feyenoord, and Stuttgart, as well earning a credible draw in Bologna.
The Austrians although reigning supreme domestically, haven’t really been tested in Europe, as they didn’t qualify for European football last year, and the previous year saw them fail to advance from the Conference League group stage. A little bit like Hearts last season they benefited from not having the European football commitments in their season but unlike the Tynecastle side, they got their big chance over the line.
That doesn’t make them a bad side of course, but they are hardly a powerhouse of European football, and it’s a tie we can head into with some confidence, especially with Martin O’Neill at the helm. The more the manager is backed in the transfer window over the coming days the better our chance will be.
But what could possibly go wrong? As our friend Gary67 on Celtic Noise pointed out: This will be our 10th Champions League qualifier in the last 14 seasons. Our record is abysmal, TWO wins out of NINE. FIVE eliminations in a row. We beat Hapoel and Astana in successive seasons under Brendan first time around but have lost to the giants of European Football in..
Maribor – Ronny Deila
Malmo – Ronny Deila
AEK Athens – Brendan Rodgers
Cluj – Neil Lennon
Ferencvaros – Neil Lennon
Midtjylland – Ange Postecoglou
Kairat Almaty – Brendan Rodgers
So tells us that it NOT the manager’s fault, all won many trophies as Celtic managers, but instead it’s the club’c continual failure to prepare. Celtic could and should have won all those ties had we approached the play-off matches properly and were fully prepared.
It’s not on Peter Lawwell or his successor Dominic McKay or his replacement Michael Nicholson. It on the way Celtic operate as a football club and hir failure to learn the same lesson over all these summers. Hopefully Martin O’Neill can somehow avoid falling into the same trap by getting his team through this tie. If we fail we must surely be at the enough is enough stage?
Think how much money that has cost us over those seven season, at the very least £150m. Add to that the reputational damage that is caused by continually losing these ties does with signing targets being justified in decided to wait and see if the Champions League carrot is going to materialise.
The evidence makes it look unlikely.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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1 Comment
Still say using the money factor for failures within CL qualification is a poor excuse imo?
Even now, we are still some distance away from playing the quality of football, in order to class ourselves as a decent CL team in the making imo?
In order for that to become a greater reality, then there is a requirement to produce a higher quality of football with far better tempo within our overall play imo?
So we still need to create a well drilled team, with greater understanding within it, along with the depth of squad, where everyone within it, knows there actual roles in order to get the best team performances required?
That wasn’t in place last season, with Rodgers reaching the maximum levels from our squad in Munich imo?
And nothing but excuses after that particular match, when the writing was on the wall, long before the CL qualification match even took place, with such a drop off in team performances imo?
We looked nowhere near CL levels in team performances last season?
Many factors involved, as to the reasons for why?
And could still be applied even now imo?
We are going to be losing players, who should have been comfortable enough playing at CL level football?
Trying to introduce players who will also be comfortable at CL levels?
All the while, we haven’t got the stability factor required within our overall squad at present?
Personally would class ourselves only in transition, to hopefully becoming a decent CL team?
Very big ask for this season to be accomplished, maybe not totally impossible for qualification purposes?
But still some distance to go, before we can seriously regard ourselves as just cannon fodder at CL levels also imo?
But already it seems that these CL qualification games are going to be used as trying to derail our season yet again, especially if we don’t qualify?
This despite overlooking, are we really a decent CL team at present, with our overall 25man squad as it currently is?
Trying to get 16 players in position, just for the qualification matches, won’t be enough for an entire CL campaign either?
But that’s what we are looking at, and trying to find solutions to also currently imo?