On the evidence offered up last night, I just can’t see where Celtic will get a result from when they go to Valencia next week.

It is a tie that now has the look of a formality with the La Liga side fully expected to ease into the last 16 of the tournament.

I can understand the mindset of the Celtic players and the manager because as players you always have to think that nothing is impossible. But realistically, I just don’t see it happening.

As a team, you have to think differently and try and look at it as you can’t go into a game fearing the worst. But there is no doubt it could be a long night for them over there.

There was a clear chasm between Celtic and Valencia and it gives rise to the same old question; how do you balance the financial running of the club while also bringing in players who can elevate the level?

The bottom line is, there isn’t an easy answer to it.

You look at Valencia’s right-back, Cristian Piccini. I thought he was excellent throughout the game. He looks like a player of genuine quality.

He was a guy that Brendan Rodgers has confirmed was wanted by the club this summer and obviously didn’t get. You can understand the frustration in that because there was an affordability about him, a player that would come in and make a difference to the current standard but it is impossible to appreciate the margins that cost Celtic.

If Valencia offered him a weekly wage that is well outwith Celtic’s budget then it becomes a deal that, although affordable in terms of a transfer, isn’t in terms of the salary that the player would come with. And therein is the constant dilemma.

I can see both sides of it. I was manager of Celtic at a time when the finances weren’t always made available to go and get what you felt would enhance the team so I do understand that. But I am not sure that is where we are at the minute - the club are spending around £60m annually on wages so there is an argument to be made that money has been put on the table.

Odsonne Edouard came in at a cost of £9m this summer, which is significant in a Scottish sense.

But still the gulf is there to see whenever there is a European tie.

There is a sense that we have seen it all before given the manner of the collapse against Valencia. I actually thought that Celtic started brightly but after that first 20-mintes Valencia had their measure.

Knowing that Celtic were going to play out from the back they were able to stop them from doing so and close the game down to great effect.

Ironically, given that Valencia played with a traditional 4-4-2 system, Celtic had greater numeracy in the middle of the park yet were completely outplayed in midfield. Some of that comes down to not being able to keep the ball and pass the ball but the frustrating thing was the number of unforced errors.

I am not sure I can remember the last time Celtic’s passing so desperately poor.

And while I can understand the desire to play the ball out from the back I think the key thing for any team is that you have to be adaptable. You have to be able to change when the need arises and clip a ball up the park.

Sometimes when you know that you are playing a better team you have to be willing to be a little more pragmatic, to make yourself a team that is difficult to beat.

You can overpass. You can make life dangerous for yourself by doing so and I think we saw that on Thursday night.

It will be a tough shift on Thursday night now over in Spain. I suspect there will be a few changes for that game and I just don’t think that you can ask Oliver Burke to lead the line for a game of that magnitude. I think he is a very unselfish lad in terms of his overall play but for me he belongs at wide right rather than as forward.