Chris Sutton has been critical of Celtic and their European ambition levels over the past few seasons. The ex-Celtic striker is convinced Celtic should be going all out for Champions League football. He has questioned Celtic’s European ambitions many times before and he has used his space in this mornings Record Sport to raise the flag again.
The Englishman has made some valid points about the riches Champions League qualification can bring to a team playing in the SPFL.
“The big question is where are Celtic’s ambitions? Is the priority of domestic dominance and going for nine and 10 in a row? Or is it the Champions League?”.
“I don’t get this notion the Champions League doesn’t really matter these next couple of years. It always matters. The Champions League has to be the priority. It’s the European night’s supporters crave and the ones they remember.”
While Sutton knows Celtic can’t go out and spend double-digit millions on new players he feels the appointment of Nicky Hammond could be Celtic’s most important signing of the season.
“Nicky Hammond might just turn out to be Celtic’s most important signing of this summer. But why on earth has it taken so long to get him in the door?”
“Why is he only going into the club’s most important summer recruitment drive in years on July 1 when the first qualifier is on July 9. And why is he just a short-term appointment?”
It’s a commendable move and needed to be done but it should have been done ages ago.Â
But at least it’s a step in the right direction and his dealings may just tell us whether the club’s ambitions lie in making an impact again on Europe or whether or not dealing with the domestic business is the priority.
Celtic struggled all last season with injuries and there is no way the current squad could deal with so many injuries again and compete domestically and on a European stage competitively. Qualifying is easier said than done and just thrown money at it doesn’t always work either, Celtic’s Europa group opponents from last season are proof of that.
