Celtic Diary Tuesday February 12

It doesn’t seem like three months since Barcelona were put to the sword, but it is. tonight the Champions League show rolls into town again, and theres a chance for Celtic to give Sky TV some new clips to play over and over.

You can never get tired of seeing Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt score in the 2-1 win, but its time to add some new footage to this seasons campaign.

Manager Neil Lennon will make late decisions-about twenty past seven-on Efe Ambrose and Georgios Samaras- but common sense should see the Nigerian sit this one out, and Samaras take his regular place in the starting eleven.

Even if Ambrose has the physical capability to last ninety minutes after his African Cup exploits, he won’t have anywhere near the focus and preparation the other players have, and since he won’t arrive in Glasgow until this morning, there won’t be enough time to get him up to speed.

Samaras, however, is a crucial part of how we play in Europe. His hamstring injury may or may not have healed, which means he cannot be used as a substitute-if he breaks down after joining the game, then a substitution is wasted-and it may even mean being reduced to ten men, which is a gamble that cannot even be considered. So if Lennon thinks he’s ready, then he has to start.

Lennon thinks the real battle will be in midfield, with Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings for Juventus, and Victor Wanyama trying to cut them. One interesting factor that everyone seems to have underplayed to the point of not noticing will be the absence of Georgio Chiellini, on the left side of Juves back three.

He’s been absent since December, and its no coincidence that the Old Lady has lost more games, conceded more goals and scored less goals without him. If they have a weakness, then it will be someone running straight at his deputy.

A packed midfield means that Celtic will have to either go round them or go over them. The team certainly has pace on the flanks, and a couple of players to bring on to keep the tempo high, but the big worry here is that Emilio Izzaguerre could be caught upfield if he lets his guard drop.

As usual at this level, the players need to be at the peak of their game both mentally and physically. There is no room for error, no room for complacency.

Most “experts” have concentrated on the effect of the crowd on the players of both sides, and as usual we are reminded of the experience of top players being able to cope with it. No doubt tomorrow, as usual , we will be reminded that it did make a difference after all.

For those who have never experienced the atmosphere at one of these games, you can take anything anyone else has said, anything you have seen on the tv, or heard on the radio, and intensify it one hundred times. It has been described as “hostile”, as “intimidating” on the one hand, and as the “twelfth man” on the other.

What usually happens is the opposition reckon they have seen it all before, but the look on their faces at the start of the game shows they are at the very least distracted, and at most their concentration is shattered.

Can the team write another chapter in the European story?

Absolutely.

Despite what Juve and their associates claim, they think they will be able to handle the occasion, after all, they were glad  it was Celtic that came out of the hat. They will try to sneak an away goal, and won’t be too disappointed if they get a narrow defeat, and a draw will send them on a lap of honour.

Celtic have lost just once in 22 games in the Champions league at Celtic Park-or something like that-and tonight the Italians will found out why.

If we get away without Juventus getting an away goal , it will be a massive result, and thats how celtic will play it. Cautious, clever and not taking any chances. what we call “guile”  will be needed.

ITV will cover the game all over the British mainland, which means all of us ex pats can look forward to the patronising comments from the supporters of the big teams down here, you know the ones, the ones who all lost their identities as clubs as soon as Sky TV started putting money in their accounts in return for blanket coverage of the dross that serves as the national game down here.

Funny that, all that money going into the game, and with  the huge amount of debt that these clubs have-interest payments alone on the total would probably solve the national debt crisis- you’d think someone would pull them up and tell them to sort it out.

It doesn’t look like they will be doing it anytime soon though.

Football needs an example. an example of a well run club, living within their means  and turning over a profit, yet still competing at the highest level in the game. A club where the support are a shining example of how to cheer on a football team, and those supporters are loved and respected everywhere they go. Most of all, a club with an identity, an identity that they are proud of.

Tonight on ITV there is a chance to see such a club.

Come on the Hoops!

Celtic have played in four European cup semi finals, to date anyway, and in the eight games , as pointed out in the comments yesterday, have lost just once in ninety minutes over the eight games.

Today, think about this…if you can take your mind off the game fora minute

Name the players who have already scored against Juventus in European competition.