Neil Cameron : How did we get so low that losing to Slovenian opposition has become the norm?

Derek McInnes’ side did not carry much luck it has to be said and the referee wasn’t great, but the fact of the matter is there are no excuses, not really, just like there was no reason worthy of the name for Celtic losing to Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps.

READ MORE: Livid Derek McInnes blasts referee Nikola Popov as Aberdeen exit Europa League qualifiers

And Alashkert from Armenia beating St Johnstone last summer was also not acceptable. Their defeat by FC Spartak Trnava of Slovakia a few seasons back wasn’t great either. Shall I go on?

Hearts’ defeat to Birkirkara of Malta was horrendous, as was Aberdeen being thrashed 5-1 at home by Czech side Sigma Olomouc a few years ago. Hibs being humiliated 7-0 by Malmo, who could quite easily have got into double figures, was simply awful, and who can forget the might of Vaduz of Liechtenstein putting one over Falkirk before Motherwell were sent packing by Stjarnan of Iceland two years ago.

And before crowing Rangers fans start on about the co-efficient being saved by their imminent return to the European stage, I have just one word for them – Kaunas.

Torch bearers Celtic have won just six of their last 21 European ties but at least in recent years they have provided their supporters with some joy. But then you recall Malmo and Molde from last season and that night against Barcelona seems a long time ago.

During the absence of Rangers, other clubs have had their chance to do something in Europe, that something being beating teams from Armenia and Malta and getting through at least a couple of qualifying rounds.

That has proved to be beyond them.

None of them have got to the group stages of the Europa League. Not one. You have to go back to 2008 when both Rangers and Aberdeen not only made the group stages of what was then the UEFA Cup but they actually qualified.

One of them even made the final.

Now nobody is expecting any of our clubs, Celtic included for the most part, to beat teams from the bigger leagues. However, the record of our teams in recent years is embarrassing.

Some blame the lack of summer football, others the luck of the draw, bad decisions, poor pitches, games coming too early in the season. It will be Brexit next.

The fact of the matter is that we are not good enough. The players are routinely shown up to be inferior to almost any opposition, managers are outfoxed and as the years go on our expectations are empty.

This summer Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs, the second and third best teams in the country and the cup winners from last year, were knocked out by teams who they should not be losing to. It is a disgrace.

Managers can moan all they want about scheduling, which is a factor, and their players having to cut shot much-needed rest, something which is almost not unimportant, but we are now at a stage when it would be a shock if our clubs did get past the giants of Armenia, Malta and Slovenia.

And that is utterly unacceptable.