JAMES Forrest has defended Celtic’s performances in the Champions League this season on the eve of their final group game against Real Madrid and predicted the Parkhead club are a just “one shot” away from being a success in Europe again.
The Scottish champions will finish last in Group F irrespective of what happens in their meeting with holders Real in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium tomorrow evening after being held to a 1-1 draw by Shakhtar Donetsk in Glasgow last week.
Ange Postecoglou’s men, who have picked up just two points from their five outings to date, can no longer come third in their section and drop into the Europa League preliminary round.
However, Forrest, who is hoping to feature against Carlo Ancelotti’s world-renowned charges in Spain, dismissed suggestions their return to the Champions League after a five year absence has been a failure.
The 31-year-old, who is taking part in his 13th European campaign, believes Celtic have acquitted themselves well against RB Leipzig, Real and Shakhtar and can challenge for a place in the knockout rounds in future if they add an end product to their displays.
“We’ve played really well in every game in the Champions League this year,” he said. “We were disappointed to draw again against Donetsk, but I think we can take a lot of positives from our performance, as we have throughout this campaign.
“I think the next time we get into the Champions League, and hopefully that is soon, we can get the same performances and get results as well.
“I’ve said it to a few of the boys – in the past we have we maybe won games where we have got one cross, one shot, and then defended for 90 minutes. Sometimes you can get a result that way.
“But this season I have felt the boys were well in every game. We’ve had our chances, and sometimes we just didn’t manage to take them. But I think it’s definitely promising the amount of chances we’ve created in the five games in the Champions League.”
Forrest added: “That (not being in Europe after Christmas) is a disappointing factor as well, the club wanted to be in Europe after Christmas, I think it’s important for the players, the fans, the staff and everyone else as well.
“Apart from the results, that’s maybe the biggest disappointment, but we still have the other competitions to go for and we need to focus on that.”
Forrest has not played regularly under Greek-Australian coach Postecoglou in the 2022/23 campaign, but the winger, who signed a new three year contract back in May, is confident he will feature, including in the Champions League, in the coming seasons.
“I said it when I signed,” he said. I know we’ve got a young squad, but I still want to work hard and keep contributing to the team. I know what Celtic is like, throughout the years it has never been easy, we are always signing new players.
“Obviously, I am getting older and we are signing younger players, but it’s always a great challenge and I am still working hard and fighting to play for Celtic. I just want to do that as long as I can.
“It’s obviously good for the other players as well, the manager can change the team so often and a quality player comes in for another quality player. You still can learn off the younger players as well, so I’ll just keep working hard.”
