Losing is never
acceptable. When is a Celtic 5-0 home loss to Paris St Germain a
matter for Pride?
They came, we all
saw, we lost. But, in defeat, we remain “unconquered”.
What rambling
nonsense is this?
Well, firstly, this
blogger never accepts defeat, never mind emphatic losses, at Celtic
Park of all places.
A year ago, we lost
7-0 in Barcelona, arguably a comparable scoreline, given that we were
away from home then but, tonight, we were at the often-feared Celtic
Park.
And yet, the
performances were starkly contrasting. In the Camp Nou, our fledgling
team seemed out of its depth, lacking confidence and, essentially,
courage. But it was clear that we were on the beginning of a journey.
We just didn’t know where we were going or how fast.
Tonight, we suffered
a historic defeat. In no way could that scoreline be considered good
enough. But it should not be seen as humiliating or embarrassing.
Make no mistake –
the day we accept defeats as part of our story, we will be on the
road to mediocrity. And that is somewhere no Celtic fan would be
content to be.
On the other hand,
tonight I saw the most expensive football team ever assembled playing
brilliant, sometimes breathtakingly-good football, a team teeming
with talent in every position, which often looked like their players
were wearing magnetic boots while dealing with a light, ferrous ball.
PSG played a game
that few of us will ever see in football. When the great Barcelona
team played something comparable to that style, the football world
Kowtowed in appreciation.
But, as media
figures will emphasise, Celtic suffered the club’s worst home
defeat in 100 years.
And yet, what I saw
tonight was a team that played with the heart and courage that was so
missing from the Camp Nou 12 months ago.
And a special
mention for Anthony Ralston, who played like a lion.
I saw a team with
real quality, going for it and maintaining a level of professionalism
that the sports pages are unlikely to reflect tomorrow.
For those who may
wonder what the headline refers to, “soft power” is considered
the new, big thing in politics and international diplomacy. Crudely
summarised, it is the understanding that internationally-prestigious
events or media coverage have a major impact in raising the
international standing of nations and other entities.
The oil-wealthy
Qatari government that funds Paris St Germain may or may not see
establishing footballing credibility in advance of the World Cup as
being crucial to their international standing.
Should we expect
similar support from the Scottish government for Celtic or prefer to
field our green-and-white hoops for the traditions of our club, our
supporters and our history?
I saw a
still-improving team, led by coaches who understand our tradition,
fighting for the club, with skill and courage, never accepting
second-best.
Mistakes were made
but I was – and am – proud of our players.
How about you?
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