Celtic currently appear to be in the doldrums, having suffered defeat after defeat during Wilfried Nancy’s time as manager. The chairman’s resignation and defeat to mid-table St Mirren in the League Cup final have been mixed with negative domestic fallout and serious anger from the fan community.
However, the club remains Scotland’s most successful team, winning 55 league titles, 42 Scottish Cups and 22 League Cups, for a total of 120 major accolades in their history. By winning the European Cup in the 1966/67 season, they became the first British club to win the competition, ahead of the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool. So what would happen if Celtic dropped into the Premier League today?
Ignoring the current climate in Scotland, Celtic will definitely do better than most expected in top-flight southern football, and maybe even win it all. This team has shown some high-quality soccer in the past Champions League, drawing with Bayern Munich and defeating other teams.
In recent pre-season friendlies, the Hoops defeated Manchester City 4-3, then beat Newcastle 4-0 and Chelsea 4-1, proving what they can do against the Premier League’s best. Now, I know what everyone lands on right away: “This is a friendly match and doesn’t count.”
So why does everyone keep talking about the Club World Cup? It was a summer tournament in the middle of pre-season, but Blues fans continue to insist that Chelsea are the ‘world champions’.
These games are all or nothing for me. Either they are all taken at face value and are important, or none of them are important at all. Meanwhile, Celtic’s recent dominance in Scottish football is nothing to grin at, especially considering the league’s seesaw ability in recent months.
The Hoops have been Scottish champions 13 times in the last 14 years, with Rangers winning their only title in the 2020/21 season during the coronavirus pandemic. An unprecedented quadruple of trebles was also achieved in the past decade, with Celtic winning every domestic trophy available for four consecutive years.
And while many would certainly argue that Scotland is a two-horse race for the Glasgow side, Heart of Midlothian currently leads the pack at the top this Christmas. Remember, who has shared the last eight Premier League titles?
Sir Alex Ferguson has won 13 league titles since the Premier League was founded in 1992, proving that English football has the potential for domestic domination. Why can’t Celtic fans dream of the same thing happening if Celtic went south?
Firstly, the club’s budget is likely to be high for many potential buyers who want to increase Celtic’s chances of winning silver. Think Rob McElhenny and Ryan Reynolds at Wrexham or Tom Brady at Birmingham City.
There are already a number of proven winners within the team, and there are hordes of fans around the world who are rooting for the team with all their might. The debate could rage forever, but the answer is clear – given the money and support, there is no limit to how far Celtic can go in the Premier League.
They will be mid-table at best for the first few years, but if everything goes well from top to bottom, I can see them becoming a top-four club and potentially champions.
