Our resident expert is back to give us his opinions on football north of the border and he isn’t full of enthusiasm when it comes to discussing Scottish teams playing in European competition.
Dundee United have already been eliminated from the Europa League in the second qualifying round, Joe O’Brien writes. They defeated Polish runners-up Slask Wroclaw 3-2 at Tannadice last night meaning the tie finished 3-3 on aggregate.
It is the Poles who progress to the next round however, courtesy of the away goals rule.
Rangers will face two qualifying rounds just to reach the group stages of the Champions League where a whole new challenge will then await them.
And Celtic and Hearts both face potentially tricky ties in their Europa League campaigns, with Hearts having to negotiate two qualifiers to reach the group stage and Celtic one too.
Scottish sides, barring both Celtic and Rangers in recent seasons to a degree, have struggled in European competition. Indeed, the record of early round defeats to sides described as European minnows vastly outweighs victories against the so called giants.
But the 2011/12 season might end up being the worst in recent memory in terms of European adventures for Scottish clubs.
Dundee United’s failure to progress in Europe’s early stages highlights the problems Scottish sides encounter when they qualify for continental competition.
Rangers found out on Tuesday that they will face Swedish side, Malmo, in their first qualifier for the prestigious Champions League. Malmo, who won the Swedish championship last season are currently mid-table in the Allsvenskan this campaign and they saw off the challenge of HB Torshavn 3-1 on aggregate to set up the clash with the Ibrox club.
Ally McCoist’s side – who have enjoyed a topsy turvy close season since securing their 54th championship on the SPL’s final day - should have enough in their armoury to see off the Swedes.
But it is in the next round – the Champions League playoff - that they might come up short.
Potentially, that could include a tricky clash with sides such as Greeks Panathinaikos, Ukrainians Dynamo Kiev, Russians Ruben Kazan or Portuguese cracks Benfica. Victory in that playoff will mean a first, sole shot at the Champions League for McCoist.
A disastrous defeat would leave Rangers with a place in the Europa League group stage as one of the ten playoff losers.
With regards to Hearts, as with other sides in Scotland outwith the Old Firm venturing into Europe, their European record hasn’t exactly forced people to sit up and take notice. Their best run in the competition in recent times came in 2004 – when the competition was still known as the UEFA Cup - when they reached the group stage only to be drawn with Feyenoord, Basle, Schalke 04 and Ferencvaros.
After a shock 2-1 win over Basle midway through the group stage after previous defeats to Feyenoord (3-0) and Schalke (0-1), they had to win against Hungarians minnows Ferencvaros to have any chance of progressing. However, they were defeated 1-0 at Murrayfield, in a night that saw then Hearts manager John Robertson boot future Jambos’ gaffer Csaba Laslo in the backside!
Turning to Celtic’s European record under Neil Lennon and it also doesn’t fill you with confidence.
Yes, the Northern Irishman has brought the “thunder” back to Parkhead and has a side filled with graft and creative flair, but thumpings at the hands of Portuguese side SC Braga - 3-0 in Portugal - and Dutch mid-table outfit FC Utrecht – 4-0 in Holland - last year in both the Champions and Europa Leagues means they have a lot to prove on the European stage this year.
Celtic have yet to learn their fate in the Europa League, although Hearts now know they will face Hungarian side Paks.
But if all goes wrong for Scottish clubs – already Dundee United have fallen – then we could be left with just Rangers – if they defeat Malmo in the first place – being left to fight for the scraps of the Europa League just as the big boys of European football wake from their summer slumber.
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