Hoops cannot afford to slip up

It’s the sort of match Celtic should win 10 times out of 10.

One of the biggest clubs in European football – and with designs on starring in the lucrative Champions League – the Hoops are operating on a different planet compared to tiny Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar.

But reputations count for nothing at the first blast of a referee’s whistle and Celtic found out that expecting to win a match is not the same as actually going out on to the pitch and doing it.

New boss Brendan Rodgers was left red-faced on his dugout debut for Celtic as the part-timers of Red Imps beat his side 1-0 last Tuesday night.

The team name would not look out of place in the Airdrie & Coatbridge Sunday League but their display was anything but as they inflicted the worst result in Celtic’s history.

Not that you would have reached that conclusion when reading the thoughts of Rodgers and his players.

The manager says losing the first leg wasn’t an“embarrassment”.

At the weekend, young midfielder Ryan Christie felt the reaction to their Gibraltar calamity had been a tad“over the top”.

Hey, at the end of the day getting through is all that matters, right?

Your correspondent will not be alone in thinking that Celtic will put three or four past this outfit at Parkhead tonight.

But that doesn’t excuse what happened last week and accepting results like that provides an insight into the mindset of those at the sharp end.

No reasonable Scottish football fan expects to see domestic sides or the national team thrash the opposition.

Those days are over.

But there is a basic expectation of winning against certain teams and the day we compromise on that is the day we hit rock-bottom as a football nation.

You cannot on the one hand talk about reaching the World Cup or Euros and making an impact on the European club scene then put up with Celtic losing to nobodies from Gibraltar and Aberdeen falling at the hands of Fola Esch from Luxembourg on the other.

Those defeats are simply unacceptable and way below the absolute minimum standard of what our clubs should be able to achieve.

That the Dons got through against Fola Esch and Celtic, surely, will get through their tie is not the point.

We must be a bit more demanding and clubs must have more belief in their ability and a better, more positive, mentality.

Talking up the likes of Red Imps and Fola Esch as if they are dangerous opponents creates an environment in which doubt and uncertainty about making progress thrives. Be respectful – yes. But prepare safe in the knowledge that if you work hard and do the basic things well, you will win the game.

We have, after all, the better players.

Accidents happen but Celtic’s result last Tuesday was entirely avoidable.

They must go out and put things right tonight.