Brendan Rodgers has laid out his Champions League expectations as he prepares for the new look tournament which will involve eight matches against eight different opponents.
Celtic have registered just two win is the last decade, against Belgian and Dutch opponents with the win over Feyenoord a dead rubber which did provide the club with a £2.5m win bonus.
While Michael Nicholson considers how far he can push prices to Season Ticket holders on a four match package Rodgers has the task of reversing the horrendous Champions League record while remaining on top domestically.
Staying just ahead of Phil Clement’s side will be less demanding than the continental challenge with Rodgers well aware of how thin his squad is to cope with playing twice a week and the toll that will take on his trusted core squad of 14 players.
The sale of Matt O’Riley will no doubt be met with high-fiving and back-slapping in the boardroom while the Direcors try to avoid scrutiny of Yuki Kobayashi, Maik Nawrocki, Gus Lagerbielke, Odin Thiago Holm, Luis Palma, Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Macro Tilio and Yang Hyun-Jun draining the pay roll, scouted and recruited by the Chairman’s son.
So far in the SPFL Rodgers has disregarded that job lot of 2023 signings but he could be forced to turn to some of them for the upcoming Champions League campaign.
Rodgers wants two midfielders to replace O’Riley and knows that an injury to Greg Taylor or Cameron Carter-Vickers will cripple his defence with the nightmare scenario being without both for any length of time.
The Daily Mail reports the Celtic boss saying:
I said before the first game that the reality is that the team won’t change too much. The guys on the side have to be ready to come in. It is not complicated.
You have no midweek games, so you can keep your rhythm, momentum and flow, but we have to have energisers to come in.
After the international break, the games through until March are heavy. If we want to have the intensity in our game to sustain it, we will need a stronger squad. Yeah, we have a few areas that I would like to do [strengthen], but I can’t tell you.
I don’t just want to be in the Champions League for participation. It has to be more than that. The challenge is obviously huge, but I think we can make a mark in it.
Now, with the different format with eight games, there’s certain criteria you need in order to improve.
We weren’t that far away last year. You look at some of the performance levels we had, especially at home, we were very close.
With the right level of player to come in who can really help us, that allows us to be competitive, not just participating in the competition.
The first Champions League matches will be played over September 17-19 which provides minimal settling in time for anyone signed before the transfer window closes on August 30.
On September 1 Celtic host the Glasgow Derby with a home match against Hearts a fortnight later the only other match before the Champions League begins.
A year ago Palma made his Celtic debut in the Champions League opener away to Feyenoord which saw Lagerbielke and Holm sent off, the sad reality is that as things stand every club in the Champions League draw will be hoping for Celtic as one of their four away matches.
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