“The belief has grown in the group,” Cameron Carter-Vickers

The Celtic Star

·8 November 2024

“The belief has grown in the group,” Cameron Carter-Vickers

Cameron Carter-Vickers is back and Celtic is absolutely flying. The excitement from the 3-1 win over RB Leipzig is still in the air and the Celtic support is loving the football being played by this team. How far can Celtic go in the Champions League? CCV has his say…

Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Celtic Park on November 05, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic support absolutely buzzing

Cameron Carter-Vickers made a welcome return to the Celtic side after his period on the sidelines resting an injured toe and Celtic’s Big Strong Man put in a top performance in the 3-1 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League that has left the Celtic support absolutely buzzing and loving rather than fearing playing in UEFA’s premier club competition.

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The American international centre-half wasn’t for getting drawn into how Celtic’s campaign will pan out, while sitting at the half-way point, with more points on the board than in the two previous campaigns combined.

But it’s more than that, it was the performance. Leipzig were played off the park by Celtic and therein lies the endorsement for the football philosophy that the players all know work domestically but until the last two matches against Atalanta and RB Leipzig, few in their heart of hearts reckoned that it could translate into Europe so impressively.

Celtic v RB Leipzig – UEFA Champions League – League Stage – Celtic Park (back to front, left to right) Celtic’s Nicolas Kuhn, Auston Trusty, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Arne Engels, Alistair Johnston, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, Daizen Maeda, Greg Taylor, Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi before the UEFA Champions League, league stage match at Celtic Park, on Tuesday November 5, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

Imposter Syndrome

As Just an Ordinary Bhoy noted yesterday, any Celtic player suffering from imposter syndrome in the Champions League has been well and truly cured!

“It’s hard to say,” CCV said when asked what he reckons Celtic can achieve in the Champions League this season. “We’ve taken it game by game and I don’t think we’ve got enough points yet to say we’re through this group phase, or whatever you want to call it.

Celtic players pose for a team photo on the pitch prior to the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Celtic Park on November 05, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“For us, it’s just about trying to perform at the highest level. Like we showed against Leipzig, if we do, we can get a result. You can always improve. That’s what we’re trying to do. But like I said before, the three years we’ve been in this competition now, it’s been a process for us, a learning process. And also a process for us to believe as a group of players,” CCV said as reported by The Herald.

Comfortable at this level

“We’re at the stage now where a lot of us have played enough games now at this level that we know we can perform at it. It’s just about putting that together and giving it our all.”

CCV agreed that the win over RB Leipzig was this Celtic team’s best performance in the Champions League so far. “I think so. We’ve been in the Champions League for three years now, and I think throughout that time it’s been a process of learning for us as a club.

“I think now we feel like we’re ready and the belief has grown in the group. I think we know we can get to that level, and it’s now just about doing that continuously and repeating it.

Celtic controlled the game

“I thought we started the game pretty well in the first 15-20 minutes and their goal was a setback for us, but we managed the next five to 10 minutes pretty well, and Nic [Kuhn] getting the goal brought us right back into the game. I think from there on, we controlled the game and created a good few chances,” Carter-Vickers said.

Referencing the 6-0 Premier Sports Cup semi-final win over Aberdeen, CCV reckoned that set Celtic up perfectly and the team were able to go to a different level against an elite opponent in RB Leipzig.

‘It gives us belief going forward’

“Obviously last weekend was really good. But the Leipzig game was probably a different level. They are a top team – you can tell that from where they’re sitting in the Bundesliga right now. For us to put in the performance that we did showed that we can perform at this level. It gives us belief going forward.”

Reo Hatate celebrates with Cameron Carter-Vickers at the Premier Sports Cup semi-final, Celtic against Aberdeen. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star

Carter-Vickers also looked back on that 7-1 defeat against Borussia Dortmund – who trail RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. “The Dortmund game was tough. After the game, everyone was disappointed. But when we looked back over it, it showed us that small details can make a massive difference at this level. That night, we did get punished.

‘We can dig in and defend and get a result that way’

“But I think in the last two games, we played our way and showed that if we need to, we can dig in and defend and get a result that way. Tonight was a combination of that and putting our attacking performance there as well.”

The UEFA Player of the Match, Nicolas Kuhn was also named in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Week and CCV is in no doubt that the German Jinky as Sandman calls him is having a great season in the Hoops.

“He’s been great this season. Even last season you saw in training and stuff the quality he had, but it’s just putting it all together on a match day for him. But this season he’s started great and he’ll make that continue.”

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– Tuesday, 5 November 2024