Celtic are not a Champions League team.

If there are any residual notions in your mind that they are, then it’s probably worth reading that sentence back until that goes, or if you need more help - check the record.

That’s four consecutive seasons we’ve been dispatched from the competition before you even get to hear the champions league anthem before kick-off and in ten years we’ve seen the group stages only 4 times.

Drawing Celtic in the Champions League qualifiers now represents something of an open goal for any European ‘minnows’ hoping to secure a scalp. To add insult to injury last night’s result has been in the post for 12 months - every fan saw it coming and we forewarned of it.

So what happened this time?

Well, it seems the clown car that was last season, filled with an unfathomable amount of diddies, parts falling off left, right & centre hasn’t quite come to the dramatic halt we had hoped it did in May. There was one last trick up its sleeve and unfortunately for Ange Postecoglou, he’s the victim of this cruel prank.

Ange is working with an arm tied behind his back, his frustrations with Celtic’s recruitment processes have been pretty public as he’s accused the club of taking too long and not being decisive enough and he’s absolutely spot on.

The recruitment to this point has been far too slow. The effect of this means he’s having to rely on youth players or players who up until recently were second or third choice in their positions to negotiate the most important games of the season. It’s not good enough.

READ MORE: Celtic are living through their darkest days since Fergus McCann saved them from catastrophe - Kevin McKenna

The league kicks off against Hearts on Saturday night and the squad will be in much the same position, aside from Starfeld, our new centre half emerging from quarantine - still not good enough.

You could argue that the Champions League comes around early for Celtic but the league is our primary focus and even for that - we’re not ready. Is Ange really facing the prospect of not gaining a win in his first 3 competitive games and all because the board are unable to back him?

I wrote last week that I’ve been unimpressed by Dom McKay’s actions. Aye, I’ve been to a few press conferences with my podcast 20 Minute Tims. 

Aye, we’ve had a few good sound bites about ‘modernisation’ but there’s been no action. No big wins. One week on, we’ve now registered our first big loss and it’s Dom who’s carrying the can.

The Champions League, we’re told, is a key part of Celtic’s identity. It’s the platform we sell to players, to coax them into coming and proving themselves on the biggest stage. It’s the dream sold to fans about those “magnificent European nights” and it’s probably the vision that was sold to Ange.

Nobody joins Celtic because they’re buzzing about Ross County away, drawing Morton in the cup or trips to Motherwell.

Celtic’s modern identity, the dream sold to players and managers, is built on playing against the best of the best. With this board in place, I think we need a new dream.

You can hear more from Jamie on his 20 Minute Tims podcast here.