Just a few days now until the much anticipated Champions League campaign gets underway, and the Record just can’t help themselves;

Stjarnan keeper Gunnar Nielsen:

We can stun Celtic like Faroes stunned Greece

 “We have to believe we have a chance to go through.

“It’s like when I play for the Faroe Islands.

“We’re a country of just 50,000 people but we’ve beaten Greece twice, who have a population of around 11 million.

“For us to beat Celtic, it would be similar. With the stadium and fans they have, it would send shock waves around Europe if we won.

“We are going to Glasgow to surprise a few people.” 

I’ve never understood this argument that compares population numbers when it comes to who should win a football match. Are the protaganists unaware that only less than a dozen can be on the pitch at any one time ?

And anyway, China and India have never won anything, and that’s with roughly half the worlds population between them.

But, he’s right, there would be shockwaves. If they won, which they won’t.

You know why they won’t win ?

Because Celtic are ready for them, and whilst there’s no room for complacency, there’s also no room for real worry. Stjarnan are not playing well domestically, and there’s no evidence that they can step up a gear.

 So, will the press go with the optimistic view? Will they talk up our chances, maybe even get Ronny to talk about how he plans to dismantle the Icelanders ?

 No. Don’t be silly.

Let’s remind him of last year ….

Celtic manager Ronny Deila: I hate feeling

I got after Maribor defeat.. I never want to experience it again

Fair enough, but that story has been done to death, and we should be looking forawrad to Wednesday night, not back at what was a fairly traumatic start for Ronny.

Which, of course, they took time to remind us of…

He was new in the job at Parkhead having just replaced Neil Lennon and he inherited a squad that required immediate surgery.

An unknown quantity to the Hoops supporters, Deila was up against it 
from the off.

And on top of all that, he had 
perilous Champions League qualifiers to negotiate before he could catch 
a breath.

Looking back, it was hardly 
surprising that the Norwegian toiled 
in the beginning.

The crushing defeats to Legia Warsaw were painful enough.

However, to get a second crack at it after the Poles were thrown out of the competition only to throw it away against Maribor? That still hurts 
even more. 

The discussion centred around last season, and not this one. Ronny was asked if he tried to do too much too soon;

“That’s hard to say.

“Maybe I wish I’d done some things differently. But at that time, there were a lot of new things for me to deal with.

“And in any case, you can’t be 
something you’re not. I needed to do 
the things I believe in.

“I can say now, we’ll be continuing with the same things we did before.

“From the first day I arrived, I’ve tried to be myself. Is it easier for me to be me now? Of course, that’s obvious.

“When you come to a new country, it’s a different culture, a new language and new players.

“This was also a new level for me because Celtic are a far bigger club. I 
could name 100 things that are different here to what I was used to before.

“For the players too, it was a huge change because they’d had the same coach for four years until I came in. 

So there was a big transition. But we’re in a much better place now than we were one year ago.” 

Hang on, he’s getting too optimistic here. Ask him about Maribor again;

“I hate the feeling I had in my body after Maribor.

“That is a feeling I fear and it drives me on. I hate losing – that’s in my blood.

“But when I think back, we just 
weren’t good enough. So it doesn’t 
irritate me too much.

“Everyone at this club is doing 
everything they can, every day, to 
prepare for these qualifying games.

“We believe we can do it but, if we don’t, it will be because we’re not good enough to be there. That’s how it is.

“But I now really believe that we’re good enough. Qualifying is a very hard task because it’s three rounds right at the start of the season.

“We have to face good opponents so it’s tough. It will be a big achievement if we can get there.

“But we have players who have done it before. This club know what it’s like to be there and they’ve had many good experiences in the competition.

“We know what it’s all about and we are prepared now.

“I’m going into these qualifiers in a much more confident mood and I know the players feel the same way.

“As a coach, I want to be there because I have something to prove to myself. 
That never stops.

“It’s also about your pride. I hate losing. And the Champions League is huge for me because I’ve never been there.

“It’s the biggest goal for me and a 
dream for every coach to have a team in that competition.”

If you thought the Record was bad, have a look at the Sun back page-or the Sunday sun, or whatever it’s called;

What he actually said was he was gutted he didn’t score. Which is what you want to hear.

Unless you are the sort of person who buys this guff.

Note the sadness on his face in the picture, it’s almost as though his career is over…

My own thoughts are that Ciftci offers something different if plan a isn’t working, and that showed in the Real Sociedad game. to me , that doesn’t make him a flop, or anything close to it.

 But then, I like to think I understand the game, unlike those who make a living writing about it.

The Herald, for instance has the most bizarre opening paragraph of all;

Icelanders won’t be caught cold by Celtic