Davie Hay believes Celtic can still make it through the next stage of the Champions League despite the Hoops losing their third round qualifying tie 3-0 to Braga on Wednesday.
The match was Neil Lennon’s first European fixture in charge and a new-look Celtic side failed to live up to their potential in Portugal.
However, former Celtic manager Hay believes there is still hope when the Portuguese side travel to Glasgow for the return leg.
“It was a disappointing result obviously. It’s an uphill task to stay in the Champions League. Its not impossible, it could be improbable,” said Hay, who managed Celtic from 1983-87.
“But looking back there’s hope. My first year as Celtic manager there was a Uefa Cup tie and we lost 2-0 to Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. We never played extremely good, but I always felt at that time the Portuguese weren’t good travellers and we beat them 5-0 in the second leg.”
Lennon has made a host of new signings over the summer and spent the pre-season tour of the US integrating the new players. Hay believes the Champions League qualifier may have come too soon for the team to gel.
“I think early on it does have a bearing,” he said. “If you look at the back four, it’s a new back four same with the centre midfield area. I know they have been over in America and got their fitness there, but it was early doors and that may have a bearing on the result.
“I think the priority is the SPL, but nevertheless the fans want to see them not relinquishing the chance of being in the Champions League and the first defeat against Braga makes that difficult.”
While Lennon got his European football campaign off to a disappointing start, Hay remembered Gordon Strachan’s disastrous first Uefa match in charge, but managed to turn it around on the domestic front.
“If you look at Gordon Strachan’s first game in Europe against Artmedia, they lost 5-0 and almost made it in the second leg but went on to win the championship that year.”
