The Champions League is no Celtic or Rangers fan priority because they live in insular world with domestic focus - Hugh Keevins

Two things need to happen before Celtic and Rangers fans will be convinced their clubs can make a serious impression on the Champions League.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster would have to be co-opted on to the board of directors at Ibrox for a start. And the Jock Stein Stand at Celtic Park would need to be re-named in honour of referee John Beaton as an apology on behalf of the supporters for calling his integrity into question on an annual basis. In other words, the existence of miracles would need to be proved beyond all reasonable doubt.

It requires a miracle before Celtic and Rangers can be considered as anything other than making up numbers in the Champions League groups. Assuming Rangers even get there in the first place, that is. Their qualification is on a knife edge pending a resolution to their tie with Servette on Tuesday night.

Brendan Rodgers says the Celtic fans need to be realistic when it comes to the level of expectation they have relative to the Champions League. This remark has been interpreted as the manager minding his own back and flagging up problems that will undoubtedly arise in the fullness of time after saying participation in Europe was a major factor in agreeing to succeed Ange Postecoglou.

I would come at what he said on Wednesday at Lennoxtown from a different direction. What expectations?

If there are supporters who have genuine expectations in the Champions League, I’d ask them a simple question. What do you base those expectations on precisely?

It can’t be a recent history of being only marginally better than Rangers, enshrined in UEFA records as being the worst performers ever to take part in the group stage on the back of no points won and 20 goals lost last season. Celtic Park