THE bitter disappointment that Celtic left back Greg Taylor was feeling was obvious as he spoke to the assembled Scottish media deep in the bowels of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Glasgow club’s frustrating Champions League campaign had just come to an end with a heavy 5-1 defeat to holders Real Madrid and it was clearly hurting him like hell.
Ange Postecoglou’s side had once again performed well in spells against Carlo Ancelotti team and had once again created an abundance of scoring opportunities. Indeed, they managed to get eight attempts on target during the 90 minutes.
Yet, once again they failed to capitalise on the chances they carved out up front and paid the price against rivals who were ruthless. It has very much been the story of their season in Europe. They have failed to win a single game and finished bottom of their section.
But Taylor is down, not deterred.
He revealed that he has relished being involved against the cream of the continent in the past eight weeks despite the losses which have been suffered and is determined to face them once more in the near future.
The Scotland internationalist believes the encounters against RB Leipzig, Real and Shakhtar Donetsk have been helpful to his personal development as well as that of the Celtic side collectively and is confident they can fare far better next time around.
“I have loved it to be honest, playing at this level,” he said. “It is the best competition in the world. It has been challenging, but so fulfilling when you do compete because you are learning at every moment in the game. You are trying to focus, you are trying to reposition, everything.
“But it is difficult and tonight was as difficult as it comes I think. They were right at it. It was a tough night. But equally it gives you a taste for it, you want another crack at it.
“Everyone in that changing room will want to compete at this level. Of course we want better results, that goes without saying. And the fans demand that. It has been difficult.
“But if you don’t want to compete at this level then you are in the wrong sport. We want to challenge ourselves at the highest level and against the best. Hopefully if we knuckle down domestically we will get another crack at it.
“We are a determined group as it is, but we know the club demands success, demands to be playing on the biggest of stages. Hopefully we can get another crack.”
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois underlined that he is one of the best players, if not the best player, in his position in the world game on Wednesday night by saving a Josip Juranovic penalty and denying Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Giorgos Giakoumakis.
Taylor was impressed with the Belgian’s performance. Still, he conceded that Celtic, who netted just four times in their six Group F games, must improve in the final third if they want to challenge for a place in the knockout rounds in future. He also confessed that their defensive displays were not of the required standard.
“We look at where we can be better and that is probably being more clinical,” he said. “We also need to be more resolute at the back and defend as a team better. We don’t just defend as a back four, we defend as an 11. They probably broke through us a bit too easily.
“I think throughout the campaign we have performed well at points. But against Real I think, if we are honest with ourselves, they had too much for us. They broke on us with speed, power and quality and were clinical. It was difficult.
“There are definite improvements to be made. But equally we know that with another year’s experience we will, if we get back next year, we will be better equipped.”
Taylor and his team mates were applauded off the park in midweek by the Celtic supporters who had travelled to Spain in their thousands despite the loss and the defender was touched by the show of appreciation for their endeavours.
He is hopeful that he and his fellow players can repay them for their vocal backing in the coming months by retaining the Premiership and is eager for the defending champions to get back to winning ways against Dundee United at Parkhead tomorrow.
“The fans have been unbelievable throughout this whole campaign,” he said. “They have followed us everywhere, they have got behind us, they have clapped us off after we got beat 5-1.
“That is hard for them to take. They deserve more, of course they do. But they are absolutely unbelievable and every one of us in that changing room is so grateful for their support. It is a fanbase like no other.
“It was good for the fans to get something that they deserved when Jota scored (the Portuguese winger came on and curled in a free-kick with seven minutes remaining). I wish it had been at a more critical point in the game, but it was a real moment of quality.
“We have got three games to go to the break and the first one is Dundee United. So we will rest, recover and be ready to put on a performance at home for the fans.”
Celtic’s hopes of ending the Champions League on a high against Real on Wednesday night were dealt a blow before kick-off when Cameron Carter-Vickers – who had donned the captain’s armband in the games since Callum McGregor got sidelined – was ruled out by a knee injury he suffered against Livingston on Sunday.
But Taylor was pleased to see Carl Starfelt return after a lengthy lay-off and is optimistic the Swede can stay fit and help the Scottish champions recover from their Champions League campaign and enjoy another successful season in the months ahead.
“Losing Cal and Cameron, two mainstays in the team, was disappointing,” he said. They are such quality players and at this level you need everyone. But I was delighted for Carl to be back out there again, albeit on a difficult night for us all. He has worked so hard on his rehab and would have wanted to get a successful night, as we all did. But unfortunately it wasn’t to be.”
