The reality check that many of us felt was coming | OneFootball

Well what can you say about that? Tonight was the reality check that many of us felt might be coming against FC Midtjylland, but we also clung to the hope that maybe our recent resurgence would ensure it wouldn’t…

Martin O’Neill interim manager of Celtic reacts Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 November 2025. Photo Michael Zemanek Shutterstock/IMAGO

Unfortunately for us, the actuality of where we currently are as a club was laid bare in front of us in what was a chastening night in Jutland. We weren’t quite humiliated but in all honesty we were probably lucky not to be. We were dominated from start to finish. Midtjylland were far superior to us in every way. It really was a sobering experience.

On Tuesday night I watched PSG v Bayern Munich and I genuinely looked on in awe as the Germans ran roughshod over the current European champions, up until they went down to ten men at half time.  Even with a man down they still managed to quite easily hold on for all three points and they looked so impressive doing it.

6.11.2025 HERNING PILKA NOZNA LIGA EUROPY UEFA SEZON 2025/2026 FOOTBALL UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE FC MIDTJYLLAND – CELTIC GLASGOW N/Z ARNE ENGELS JAMES FORREST MIKEL GOGORZA FOT. KAROL POLIT/NEWSPIX.PL — newspix.pl

If someone who watched that match and also tonight’s match had told you that Celtic were probably the better team over two legs and should have knocked the Germans out of the Champions League just nine months ago you would laugh them out of the room.

Since then the two teams have went in completely opposite directions. Where Bayern have clearly improved, our decline has been rapid.

Watching that game tonight all I could think was that I don’t think any of our players would get into that Midtjylland team. How scary a thought is that? This isn’t one of Europe’s elite we are talking about. It’s the team who finished runners up last season in Denmark.

Martin Erlic of FC Midtjylland scores the opening goal Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 Nov 2025Herning MCH Arena Denmark Photo Michael Zemanek IMAGO/Shutterstock

They currently sit second this season in the Danish Superliga. Overall they were quicker than us. They were tactically far superior to us. They were definitely more physical than us. They were just better than us in every metric you can imagine.

Since the moment we went out of the Champions League last season we have regressed at an unimaginable pace. I don’t think anyone could have foreseen this unrelenting decline.

The Celtic fans have been split since Brendan Rodgers left, many felt he failed to get the best out of the players. Others claim he had been badly let down by the board. The truth? Well it has become a bit clearer tonight. Yes I will agree that during the latter days of his reign, Rodgers was failing to get the best out of the team.

Reo Hatate of Celtic scores his sides first goal Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 Nov 2025. Photo Michael Zemanek/Shutterstock

The football on display was hard to watch. We lost convincingly to Sporting Braga. Bettered by a poor Dundee side. Humbled by Hearts. There was always more to it than just Rodgers not getting the best out of the team however.

Tonight we had a team coming off a couple of good wins against Falkirk and theRangers. Confidence was high.

Many pointed at how Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney had suddenly made this team winners again almost over night. So it was all Rodgers fault right? Wrong!

No matter what your opinion on Rodgers is, he wasn’t consistently saying we were lacking quality just to embarrass the players we currently have. He was saying it because it’s true. We had a team who were going toe to toe with some of Europe’s elite less than a year ago. The board then sold it’s biggest assets and failed to replace them with anywhere near the quality required. Do not let them forget it.

The last couple of matches just papered over the cracks. It’s been great to see Martin back. His interviews have been entertaining and he clearly gave the team a much needed boost of confidence. He isn’t however a miracle worker. He has done incredibly well to get us back on track domestically but if Europe is the benchmark then tonight proves that we are miles away from competing at this level.

Callum Osmand of Celtic is injured Midtjylland vs Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Group Stage, Football, MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark – 06 November 2025. Photo MichaelxZemanek Shutterstock/IMAGO

A lack of quality mixed with an ever increasing injury list will get exposed at this level and it has. We will find it difficult to make it into the top 24 in the Europa League. Maybe it’s better for all that we don’t, leaving us more time to focus on what won’t be an easy challenge domestically.

With things going well since Martin O’Neill returned the focus has shifted off the board. Fans weren’t as interested in what the Celtic Fans Collective were up too. Hopefully tonight will refocus minds that have drifted.

The board have been guilty of taking an excellent Celtic side and ripping it to shreds. They have replaced quality with cheap alternatives, many not good enough to be representing Celtic. Pressure needs to be put on the board to deliver a new top level manager whose vision must then be backed.

I’m positive the board will have been praying that the current management team could have continued winning before trying to convince us all that we are better sticking with what we’ve got. Why go looking for an expensive new manager when we could just promote Shaun Maloney with O’Neill in a background role eh? Hopefully tonight ends that idea, one I’m sure has been gaining much traction at board level in recent days.

If there is one positive from tonight then it’s the fact that the scrutiny around the boards search for a manager will intensify.

The fans will not accept a cheap option. It’s clear to see that whoever gets the manager’s job has a huge job on his hands. This squad needs a total overhaul and we must be sure we have the right man in the hot seat to oversee it.

He will not come cheap. But if we want to end nights like tonight and try and restore our reputation in Europe then the board must loosen the purse strings, starting with the new manager. He must then be handed significant funds to create a team in his imagine. Only then can we start hoping of getting back to, and competing at, Europe’s top table once again.

Conall McGinty

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Don’t miss the chance to purchase the late, great Celtic historian David Potter’s final book. All remaining copies have been signed by the legendary Celtic captain  Danny McGrain PLUS you’ll also receive a FREE copy of David Potter’s Willie Fernie biography – Putting on the Style, and you’ll only be charged for postage on one book.  Order from Celtic Star Books HERE.

Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books

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