Celtic seem to be on a downward spiral at the moment with loss after loss during Wilfried Nancy’s time in charge. A chairman’s resignation and League Cup final defeat to mid-table St Mirren have been mixed with damaging domestic drubbings and serious anger from fan collectives.
However, the club still reigns supreme as the most successful team in Scotland, with 55 league titles, 42 Scottish Cups, and 22 League Cup trophies, totalling 120 major honours in their history. A European Cup triumph in the 1966/67 season saw them become the first British club to win the competition, ahead of the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool. So, how would Celtic fare if dropped into the Premier League today?
Disregarding their current climate in Scotland, Celtic would definitely fare better than most would assume in top-flight football down south, maybe even winning it all in time. The side have shown their fair share of high-quality football in Champions League campaigns in the past, drawing with the likes of Bayern Munich and beating others along the way.
In pre-season friendlies of recent years, the Hoops have defeated Manchester City 4-3, before thrashing Newcastle 4-0 and Chelsea 4-1, showcasing their prowess against some of the Premier League powerhouses. Now, I know what everyone will be landing on immediately: ‘These are friendlies, they don’t count.’
Well, why does everyone keep going on about the Club World Cup then? That was a summer tournament conducted in the height of pre-season, yet Blues fans continue to go on and on about Chelsea being ‘world champions’.
It’s all or nothing for these matches for me. Either they are all taken at face value and matter, or none of them matter at all. Meanwhile, Celtic’s recent domination of Scottish football isn’t anything to be smirked at, especially considering the seesaw capabilities the league has seen in recent months.
The Hoops have been Scottish champions 13 times out of the last 14 years, with Rangers winning one solitary title in the 2020/21 season during the Coronavirus pandemic. An unprecedented quadruple treble also took place over the last decade, with Celtic winning every trophy available domestically four years in a row.
And while yes, many will argue that Scotland is a two-horse race between the Glasgow sides, Heart of Midlothian are currently leading the pack at the top this Christmas. Remind me, who have the last eight Premier League titles been split between?
Sir Alex Ferguson proved that domestic dominance is a possibility in English football, having won 13 league titles since the Premier League’s inception in 1992. Why can’t Celtic fans dream of the same happening if they moved down south?
For starters, the club’s budget would likely skyrocket, with plenty of potential buyers willing to boost Celtic’s chances of securing silverware. Think Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds for Wrexham, or Tom Brady for Birmingham City.
There is already a strong contingent of proven winners within the squad and a large army of fans worldwide who would back their team to the hilt. The debate can continue to rage on for as long as it wants, but the answer is clear – give them the money and support, and the sky’s the limit how far Celtic could go in the Premier League.
The first few years would be mid-table at best but I could see them becoming a top-four club – and potentially champions – if everything went smoothly from top to bottom.