Celtic suffered their latest Champions League humiliation on Tuesday night, their 100 percent start to the season demolished as Borussia Dortmund romped to a 7-1 victory. It might easily have been 10.
The Premiership title-holders had, understandably, flown to Germany in high spirits.
Not only had they rampaged through their domestic fixtures, winning all nine, and each by two or more goals, they had also yet to concede in the league. In addition, they had impressed in their previous European group game, a 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava.
But their world came crashing down at Signal Iduna Park, and while the margin of the loss might have come as a surprise given the above, it perhaps should not have – Celtic have previous in this competition, and plenty of it.
The Parkhead club have now played 37 away group games in the Champions League.
They have avoided defeat in just six of those – their only wins coming against Spartak Moscow in 2012 and Anderlecht in 2017.
Eleven of the losses have been by three or more goals, and they have recorded the six worst away results suffered by Scottish sides – those were 5-1 against Real Madrid, 6-1 against Barcelona, 6-0 to Atletico Madrid, 7-1 against PSG and now Borussia Dortmund, and – the nadir – 7-0 in the Nou Camp in 2016.
Celtic have now conceded exactly 100 goals in those 37 matches, and their goal difference stands at a staggering -73.
There are plenty more statistics I could throw out, but those listed are enough to paint what is a truly depressing picture.
The simple truth is, and I have been saying this for years now, Scottish football can no longer compete at the very highest level in the continental game.
We are, at best, a Europa League nation.
There will be occasional victories like the one Celtic enjoyed against Bratislava, but they will come over lesser teams.
There might even be the odd vanquishing of a big gun – if they have an off-night like Dortmund did against Rangers a couple of years ago – but these will very much be the exception to the rule.
In the wake of Celtic’s latest humbling, Brendan Rodgers made it clear he will not alter his approach to that kind of Champions League test. If that is the case, it is folly, and will only lead to further capitulations, more embarrassing losses.
Both he and his captain, Callum McGregor, spoke of learning lessons from the defeat.
I have heard those type of comments countless times in the three-and-a-half decades I have been covering the game, not only from Celtic, but from a variety of other Scottish clubs who have been beaten heavily.
I fully expect to hear them again in the months and years ahead. But nothing will change.
Celtic have three more home games in the Champions League group, against Leipzig, Bruges and Young Boys. Those are winnable, and getting enough points to progress is not beyond them, but they will need a rethink when it comes to their travels.
Their next challenge is in Italy on October 23.
If Rodgers does not adopt a more pragmatic set-up, Atalanta, who finished 4th in Serie A last season, have the players to make it another hugely uncomfortable 90 minutes.
Worrying times for Caley Thistle
Caley Thistle’s summer of torment looks set to get even worse with the stark news which emerged earlier in the week.
Redundancies will have to be made across the board, the squad will be stripped of its assets, and there will be a significant deduction of as many as 15 League One points.
Finances are tight throughout the SPFL, particularly down the divisions, but Inverness made upwards of £1 million from their run to the 2023 Scottish Cup Final, and that seems to have evaporated.
Had they not amassed that fortune, they may already have gone under.
I have always had a soft spot for Caley Thistle – there are many good people at the club – but this latest blow might be a knock-out one, and you have to fear for their future.
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