rome wasn't built in a day -
and neither was ac milan

The public floggings were not long in starting in the wake of our most recent Champions League away defeat. Even though the Hoops had just given AC Milan a real game on their own turf - a collection of words which would have been unthinkable only a few short years ago incidentally - before finally succumbing to a goal in the 89th minute and one in stoppage time, the hunt for scapegoats was on and there seemed to be no shortage of targets: Sylla should have been tracking back, Varga shouldn't have lunged in, Marshall's positioning was at fault, Martin O'Neill was too cautious and Brian Quinn was too miserly with the cash during the summer.

The result in the San Siro was undoubtedly bitter medicine to have to swallow, but let's put the fiery torches and the pitchforks down for a second and try to take stock of where we are in a wider context.

Looking at the game, first of all, it has to be remembered that it was Milan we were playing and not Motherwell. It could well be the case that the only reason Celtic dominated the second half was because the Italians chose to play that way, but dominate it we did and, as with the Barca game a few weeks ago, at one stage it really did look as if a shock result was on the cards - and I don't just mean a single away point either.

The fact that it all went tits to the ceiling in the last few minutes was, once again, down to individual mistakes costing dearly. Celtic made two (the free kick at the end could hardly go down as an error) while Milan made one. All were punished and that's what happens at Champions League level.

The strength in depth of both clubs was another factor. Having to cope with Thompson's injury and Hartson's lack of fitness necessitated the introduction of Sylla and Juninho (playing in an unfamiliar role). Milan, by contrast, were able to chase the game by throwing on Inzaghi. With his only touch of the ball he illustrated perfectly the flip side of the coin: any chances that come your in one of these games has to be snapped up.

We need a striker at the sharp end who can do that for us. Celtic made enough half chances (and better) during the Milan game to suggest that had it been Shevchenko on the end of them the result would have been different.

OFM came in for a bit of stick as well, for not being able to contrive a victory away from Celtic Park in Europe, a nonsensical notion which conveniently leaves out last season's epic performance in the Nou Camp out of the theory, not to mention Blackburn Rovers and Ajax in previous campaigns. Paradoxically, the success he has achieved in European terms in recent years has led to a corresponding increase in expectations. Each time he clears a hurdle the bar goes up a few notches and the understandable frustration of many of the fans is testament to this. Sated on Champions League group fare, the feeling is that it's time to move on to the next level by qualifying for the knockout rounds.

It's coming closer, and if things go on as they have been doing it has to come, but for it to happen this season was always going to be a tall order once the draw was made. Very few teams in Europe, even those with transfer budgets far superior to ours, would stop the current Barca and Milan teams finishing first and second in our group.

When the draw was made I said I would be delighted if Celtic managed to finish third. That was not being defeatist that was being realistic. To finish in the top two in this group would almost emulate reaching the UEFA Cup Final 15 months ago. Barca, with the addition of their summer signings, were one of the strongest teams in pot 1 while Milan, holders of the Scudetto, who won the Champions League the season before last, were easily the strongest team in pot 2 and stronger than most in pot 1.

Don't underestimate Donetsk either. They will be nobody's pushovers. Arguably they were the strongest of the teams in pot 4 of the draw. Like Celtic they've been beaten home and away by the two top-seeded teams in the group. To expect two easy wins against them would be delusional in the extreme and we could be in for more than we bargained for.

Nevertheless, it looks like our two games against them will be a play-off to see who finishes third and qualifies for the UEFA Cup. That won't be easy to achieve. If Celtic do finish third in this group and qualify for the UEFA Cup I'd suggest that should be viewed in a positive not a negative light.

We still have some way to go before we can compete as equals with the likes of Barca and Milan. There has been great improvement since MON arrived but we still have a fair way to go before we are up there with the top teams, as this Champions League group proves. There is no shame in that. The Premiership in England is regularly touted as being the best league in the World but only one team from that league, despite the money it generates, has ever made it to the Champions League Final.

Celtic are headed in the right direction; no other club on the continent has improved their position in the coefficient table by 80 places. For twenty years or more drawing Celtic was the equivalent of a bye into the next round for any half-decent European team. That's no longer the case. Let's be patient and have the belief that if we improve as much in the next five years as we have in the last five then progress in the Champions League will not be beyond us. But it will take time as well as money.

In the meantime sit back and enjoy the ride. MON might not be perfect (I, for one, wish he'd be a bit less conservative in his choice of personnel for these big games) but he's the best man for the job. And, by the way, at the risk of sounding like Kevin Keegan, I'd love it if he was proved right about not being out of the Champs League yet.

Now you can pick up your pitchforks.

GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE
and a Gentleman