THE DUBIOUS DERBY

Dismal and disturbing .. Kazakh exit exposes Hoops side on the wane but board are complicit by ignoring alarm bells

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I'D like to think Celtic are looking at compensating the supporters who undertook the expense of a mammoth trip to Kazakhstan on Tuesday, only to be left dismayed by a performance of breathtaking incompetence from their team.

After all, the club could take the refund out of the cash reserves they didn't touch to buy players prior to Celtic's exit from the Champions League at the hands of Kairat Almaty. Why should the punters be out of pocket after being shortchanged by the people who run their club?

I was among the crowd when Celtic played their first European tie in Glasgow in 1962, in a competition quaintly named the Fairs Cities Cup. The match ended in an aggregate defeat, which included a missed penalty from Celtic.

Some things never change.

Now, 63 years later, I think I am well enough qualified to discern good from bad and say there has never been a more dismal, disturbing display in Europe from Celtic than was delivered over both legs of the playoff tie against the Kazakhs by Brendan Rodgers' team.

The return leg against Kairat Almaty was their Progres Niederkorn moment.

For Rangers' worst moment in history, read Celtic matching that experience pound for pound.

It was so bad the Celtic board might have been justified in asking Rodgers to tender his resignation on the back of an impoverished display.