They may have finished with a flourish but there remained a lingering sense of disappointment following Celtic�s 2-0 victory over Villarreal on Wednesday night.
They may have finished with a flourish but there remained a lingering sense of disappointment following Celtic's 2-0 victory over Villarreal on Wednesday night.
For the first time since season 2005-06, Celtic have no European football to look forward to beyond Christmas. Instead, they must now channel their energies into winning a fourth league title in a row.
The impressive performance against the Spaniards helped inspire confidence after the 2-0 reverse to Hibernian at the weekend and Andreas Hinkel, the Celtic right-back, believes they can use it to bounce back in the league.
"It was good to finish with a win," he insisted. "We knew we couldn't qualify but it was good for the confidence, going into the next games, to win against a good side. It doesn't matter if some of their top players didn't play for Villarreal, it was still a good team they had out.
"It's a shame we went out of Europe, but now we have to be professional and concentrate on the league. It is a different situation to Rangers had last year. They lost the league because they had so many games, but we can concentrate 100%."
Stephen McManus, the Celtic captain, stressed the importance of winning the league in order to ensure direct entry to the Champions League group stage next season. The pitfalls of having to negotiate the qualifying rounds were demonstrated by Celtic's loss to Artmedia Bratislava in 2005 and Rangers' defeat to FBK Kaunas this season.
"If you can get into the Champions League straight away then there's a lot of pressure off the club," he said. "You know you can get drawn against a top side in a hard game in the qualifiers so the priority is now to win the league. It'a a good feeling going through the summer and knowing that you are straight into the Champions League."
If Celtic punched above their weight in reaching the last 16 in the previous two years, then their inability to make the UEFA Cup at the expense of BK Aalborg must be regarded as an under-achievement. Hinkel highlighted the fine line between success and failure in Europe. "We have to look back at the small things that can decide a game. Maybe if we had scored a lucky goal in the first game, or the penalty against Aalborg, then it could have been different. In Aalborg, we had chances to win the game. Then there was the own goal and the deflection."
Hinkel has been one of Celtic's most consistent performers this season. After an underwhelming start to his Celtic career, he has found his feet and matched defensive diligence with an increased appetite for attack.
"I feel comfortable and have got used to everything now," he said. "I feel happy in Glasgow. I have a routine. It was a very big step to come from Spain to here. It is always the same when you change your club and go to another country. You have to build up everything new.
"I did not know anyone at the beginning and it was the same for my wife. We stayed in Spain for a year-and-a-half and we had a lot of friends there. We moved here and it was difficult for my wife because she did not know anybody or the city. There are many things at the beginning - you have to find an apartment, get to know the players and the style of football.
"At the beginning I felt quite good, although I got injured in the second game. After that, I played 17 games in the league and we won the title. But now I have been here for a year and it is a different feeling again."
Celtic will attempt to return to winning ways against Hearts tomorrow and they will be boosted by the form of Aiden McGeady. The winger produced an excellent performance against the Spaniards after a nine-game absence and will be a key player as Celtic try to maintain their four-point advantage over Rangers at the top of the league.
There were also signs that Georgios Samaras is inching back to the form he showed earlier this season, before he underwent a knee operation.
"Villarreal was the first game I felt really free," said the Greek striker. "Now I can build on that and become better and better."
