Chris Sutton’s newspaper column this morning is well worth a read for all Celtic Supporters still hurting after that Europa League lesson in German efficiency on Thursday night at Celtic Park.

“You can’t just flick a switch. Celtic are in major transition,” Sutton writes in Daily Record in conclusion after providing his analysis on what’s happening at our club as Ange Postecoglou goes about re-building Celtic after the shambles that developed last season, in truth that was an accident waiting to happen pretty much since around the time Brendan Rodgers got the message that he was being undermined from above and the knives were out for him behind his back from the usual sources.

Giorgos Giakoumakis of Celtic iat full time during the Europa League group G match between Celtic and Bayer Leverkusen (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

John McGinn missed out on his dream move to Celtic and slowly but surely the momentum shifted, Celtic were on the way down. Last season we thought that we had hit rock bottom and we probably did so when second pick Neil Lennon replacement Ange Postecoglou arrived in June just a few weeks ahead of the Champions League qualifiers we had little reason to believe that he had brought an instant solution with him in his luggage that would cure all that’s gone wrong at Celtic.

There are some supporters on social media calling for the manager’s head after Thursday night. When a manager is under pressure or after he loses his job the bookies will release their odds on who the next manager might be. Here’s the kind of thing that we might read if the Sack Ange mob get their way…

Roy Keane – 5/4
Paul Lambert – 3/1
John Kennedy – 5/1
Scott Brown – 10/1
Gordon Strachan -12/1
Eddie Howe – 20/1
Henrik Larsson 20/1

Sutton reckons that some people are losing the plot over the Celtic manager and asks what do they expect and where do they think that Celtic should be at this moment in time?

David Turnbull at full time during the Europa League group G match between Celtic and Bayer Leverkusen at Celtic Park (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“The same people who were rational in July when the guy was dumped into the middle of a shambles and making it quite clear that he was going to need at least a season to sort out the mess are now losing their shape after three months of his reign,” Sutton points out.

Have a look at this…

“What’s the alternative? Sack him? Lose faith in a guy within 12 weeks after a massive overhaul? Really?
Get in a new manager who will want to bring his own players in again? Do me a favour.

is just starting one of the biggest overhauls the club has had for many a long year and folk seem to think change should be instant.

Callum McGregor at full time during the Europa League group G match between Celtic and Leverkusen at Celtic Park (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“Listen, I’m not some cheerleader. There are aspects of his approach I don’t think are suitable for the way his squad is built right now. I don’t believe Celtic should be going toe to toe with Bayer Leverkusen at this stage of their development. A bit more pragmatism wouldn’t go amiss in certain situations. Wanting young full-backs to be inverted to take the ball in the middle of the pitch against that level of opposition is asking a lot,” Sutton states.

“The team has been naive in Europe. Case in point being the fourth goal against the Germans. Flooding numbers forward in injury-time when you’re 3-0 down and the game’s gone is downright silly. That comes from leadership on the park as well as off it.

Two wins in eight games isn’t a brilliant statistic but I’m not sure exactly where people thought Celtic would be at this stage of this rebuild.

Know what? I’ve a hunch they might just get there with this manager once it all settles down and his patterns are fully established with guys who can do it.

Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Celtic reacts during the UEFA Europa League group G match between Celtic FC and Bayer Leverkusen at Celtic Park on September 30, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Postecoglou has proven form with this. He has gone into clubs and rebuilt them. It took time but he got there in both Australia and Japan. Yokohama were struggling when he joined and he turned them into the J-League champions. That doesn’t just mean he’ll do the same at Celtic. But you can see the template.”

And that headline again folks: “You can’t just flick a switch. Celtic are in major transition,” Chris Sutton. Looking forward to an early morning drive to Aberdeen tomorrow and a Celtic victory that we see our title challenge get back on track. Sunday’s game was always the most important anyway…

COYBIG.

Celtic fans during the Europa League Group G match between Celtic and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Celtic Park, Glasgow Photo by MB Media

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