Celtic legend Tommy Gemmell has set out the task that faces new manager Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead.

The Lisbon Lion believes that the Northern Irishman must qualify for the Champions League group stages this season in order to make a good first impression at the club.

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Talking to the Scottish Sun, the 72 year old said:

"Failure to qualify for the Champions League in two consecutive years just wasn’t acceptable. And when you look at the calibre of the two teams who scuppered their chances — Maribor and Malmo — it just shows there is much work for Rodgers to do. Rodgers won’t need me to tell him this, but is absolutely imperative to make certain Celtic don’t fail for a third season."

Gemmell says that failure to qualify would be an awful way for the new manager to start his reign at the Scottish club, but he is confident that, like Celtic great Jock Stein, he will change the mentality of the squad and set new levels of expectations:

“That would be a dreadful way to start his career... It was the great Jock Stein who turned everything on its head at the club of course. When he walked through the Parkhead door in March 1965 everything changed... He pointed us in the right direction and you feel Rodgers has been left with the same task. Brendan Rodgers needs to hit the ground running — and a place in the Champions League has got to be a priority.”

In what will be a baptism of fire for the new manager, Rodgers will have his first competitive matches of the season in Champions League qualifiers in mid-July.

He will need to assess the players he has got, and bring in the coaching and playing staff he wants in the space of six weeks and set out a team that can also make its way through the qualifying rounds.

We will have to wait and see if the new boss can live up to Gemmell's expectations.

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