Celtic's Champions League dream is over almost as quickly as it started, with the Glasgow side on just one point from their opening four games in the competition this season.
The Scottish champions may have fancied their chances of fighting for a place in the knockout phases, and came close against both Atletico Madrid and Lazio in Glasgow.
However, they have struggled to maintain the pace with the other sides in their group, and their dismantling by Atletico Madrid this week spoke volumes about the gulf in class between the two sides.
There has been indicisipline across all four games, with the side reduced to nine men in their group opener before Daizen Maeda was sent off in Madrid on Tuesday night.
All in all, it has been yet another campaign of what ifs for Celtic, but much of their woe has been self-inflicted, and former striker Chris Sutton thinks that the side's preparation for the Champions League has to be called into question after successive disappointments.
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Chris Sutton questions Celtic's Champions League preparations
When Celtic returned to the Champions League for the first time in five years last season, they could be forgiven for struggling in a group which included RB Leipzig and defending champions Real Madrid.
Their continued struggles this season, however, are not as easily defended in the eyes of former Celtic striker Chris Sutton.
Atletico Madrid 6-0 Celtic
GOAL – Saul gets two bites of the cherry and from close range, the substitute makes it half a dozen for Atletico
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Sutton, who played in Glasgow for six years and lined out in the 2003 UEFA Cup final, wrote in the Daily Record this weekend that he believes the team's lack of preparation for the group stages must be questioned.
The Englishman surmised that, having shown great promise before the departure of Ange Postecoglou as manager, Celtic have in fact gone backwards this season.
Sutton went on to accept that there was no shame in defeat to Atletico Madrid on their home patch - but said that the performances put in by Celtic in their earlier games against Feyenoord and Lazio were the central issues:
Those were huge moments and, at the risk of repeating myself as I said it at the time, Celtic were not ready for them.
But it’s alright me saying it. When you hear Rodgers saying it himself during the week, that’s when it really hits home because, I’m sorry, that’s unforgivable.
Celtic knew the date of the first Champions League group matches in the second week of May when they won the title against Hearts at Tynecastle and guaranteed their place in them. That is four whole months. That Postecoglou team was building. They had their experiences of the first campaign and those that were staying could use them.
Those who were leaving needed to be replaced properly and strengthening was also needed because, having finished the campaign with two points last term, it was clear that even the side who ended that term required more furnishing. Instead, Celtic went backwards.
This direction of travel has to stop. It has to be altered now. In fact, it should already be happening.
Celtic are all but out of the Champions League, barring a miraculous combination of results and a monumental goal difference swing in the final two matchdays, and will have to instead reflect on another season of disappointments at the highest level.
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