‘Frustrating, the table doesn’t lie’ - Fans react as Celtic’s European campaign of missed opportunities comes to an end

Shakhtar Donetsk comdemned Celtic to a bottom place finish in Champions League Group F on Tuesday night and fans have voiced mixed views on the club’s European exit.

Ange Postecoglou’s side went into their penultimate group match already eliminated from the competition’s knockout stages but the 1-1 draw at Parkhead also killed off the Hoops dreams of finishing in third spot and dropping into the Europa League.

The Scottish champions have claimed just two points from their five previous fixtures to date meaning their final trip to the Santiago Bernabeau to face holders Real Madrid next Wednesday is now officially a deab-rubber.

Celtic have earned plaudits for their performances in a competitive section but their disappointing European exit will be matched by an overwhelming sense of frustration due to the manner in which a failure to take chances has been a consistent theme throughout.

Postecoglou’s attacking style of football has led to the Glasgow giants creating an impressive 68 attempts on goal - just three less than Bayern Munich and Barcelona - but the damning statistic is only THREE goals have been scored, leading to a conversion rate of just 4.4 per cent.

That problem will need addressed quickly if they are to create a bigger impression in Europe next season, with Postecoglou admitting in his post-match interview “We know the areas where we have fallen short in.”

Some supporters highlighted the need for players to find their clinical edge in front of goal and play at a quicker tempo in their build-up play, while others preferred to focus on the positives.

Here’s how Celtic fans have been reacting to their European exit on Twitter:

@steffi0611: “Trust the process. The team held their own and will improve with time. We just need to get behind them and give them our support.”

@mxtt188: “Most frustrating thing is we’ve played well in just about every game we’ve played but we’ve lacked that concentration in the final third and defence. We will be back again stronger no doubt.”

@JOEMRP: “We have taken a massive step forward, got to stay positive. It’s a massive step up to this level. We knew we would get picked off on the break, and we did. It’s been happening a lot in this tournament, and we have to learn.”

@SAF_Friendlies: “Frustrating. Taking too many touches going forward. The reason other teams score on the counter is they drive with the ball. Too many side-to-side passes on the counter, when Shakhtar go up the park we’re far too slow in transition. Hard watch but steep learning curve.”

@McAdamNo5: “Lots of effort but sadly no quality or composure in the final third AGAIN in Europe. In terms of progessing in CL or Europa League, we need players in January with a view of bedding in for next season’s campaign. A striker and a No10 - two quality additions. Ange has been brilliant and the face every game has been competitive is a credit to him and the players.”

@shark1986finn: “Too slow with passing and offloading the ball. Need to be more ruthless in Europe and in Scotland, but they will know where they are in terms of individual players. The winter break is a time to get rid of bench warmers and bring in quality for Europe.”

@ByeByeCatty: “We have competed well enough in most of the games so far for good spells, but just lacking the ruthlessness and not taking our chances at critical stages of games. A few injuries too haven’t helped, but the table unfortunately doesn’t lie.”

@1888to1967: “Is what it is, but I refuse to listen to the ‘project’ comments. That performance was well below standards. How many touches did the two centre halfs have in extra-time? Too many for a team that NEED a win. Onwards and upwards though.”

@Jacko_2106: “For the last 19 years we’ve been a total myth in Europe, let’s be honest. This campaign has been a huge disappointment. So many players look like they’re miles off the pace for any European football never mind Champions League. Totally deflating, as has been the norm for a while.”

@Beaumontbhoy: “Proud of the team and Ange. Will learn from this and hopefully get better next season. A confident Kyogo scores that chance. Positives; we went toe to toe with really good teams. Negatives; you need take your chances at this level and in 5 games we haven’t.”

@CoreyCaustic: “Too many missed chances in this European campaign. Guess we can just focus on domestic play now but I still expected a little better. No other way to look at this than a failure.”