Let’s not get built up only to be let down
Copenhagen’s win in Glasgow this week prompted one home fan to wryly recall a warning delivered by his late mother: “Careful... Celtic always build you up to let you down”.
Given the Hoops have won the last 10 domestic trophies open to them and are 25/1 ON to make it nine titles in a row, it would be quite a build-up.
For supporters of the country’s 41 other senior clubs, the notion of Celtic being cast as a perennial underachiever is laughable.
To be fair, Europe is different. In both 2017-18 and 2018-19, the Scottish champions exited the Europa League’s last-32. In 201617, they reached the Champions League, but did not manage to produce a single group-stage win.
Having watched their team beat Lazio in Rome this season and with a 1-1 draw from the first leg in Copenhagen, supporters raised on tales of the march to Seville in 2003 were daring to dream this year would be different.
It was – but only in the sense that this time Rangers succeeded where they failed.
When the £11-million TV share for Scottish clubs for the round of 16 is divided, it will be the Light Blues who can lay claim to 100% of the revenue.
For one particular Celtic fan, Thursday was especially tough.
Kieran Tierney is famously the Hoops boyhood fanatic who went on to star for the team, winning eight trophies in his
102 appearances.
A life-changing £25-million transfer to Arsenal last summer was too much to turn down. But he has lost none of his feelings for the club.
He remains in close touch with the Celtic players and coaches. Indeed, he travelled north for a reunion with his friend and role model, Scott Brown, at the beginning of last week.
The Gunners pay his wages now, though, and he had to suffer through an even more agonising Europa League defeat.
One-nil winners against Olympiakos in the first leg, Arsenal were dragged into extra time, equalised to put themselves in pole position and then lost concentration and conceded in the final minute to crash out 2-1.
While Tierney did not play – he is only just back to full fitness after three months out with a shoulder injury – he looks poised for an extended run in the team.
His main rival for the left-back position, Sead Kolasinac, faces several weeks out after damaging his shoulder.
And, while Bukayo Saka has been an eye-catching replacement in the role in recent weeks, the 18-year-old is a winger by trade.
For all there have been reports stating Arsenal are ready to cut their losses on Tierney, who has only made four first-team starts because of injury, it is understood manager Mikel Arteta has been impressed by the Scot’s application in training and wants to give him a chance to show what he can do.
That is positive news for Scotland manager Steve Clarke.
With Scott McTominay and Leigh Griffiths both back playing and in form for their clubs, plus John McGinn now in light training and reported to be “nearly 100%”, there is a very real chance that national coach could have all his stars available for selection for the Nations League play-offs at the end of the month.
Not that seasoned Tartan Army foot soldiers will get carried away.
After two decades of waiting to get back to a major finals, and suffering through a succession of near misses, they know the real truth of “who always builds you up to let you down” lies not in Glasgow’s east end but in Mount Florida.