There must be a large rainforest somewhere in South America sacrificed each
year to provide for the blizzard of paper that engulfs the media before,
during and after each Champions League evening. Gordon Strachan could save
Uefa — and the environment — from such dreadful waste by stripping the
occasion down to one simple fact: fear of failure is what makes winners.
You would expect a Celtic manager to be green by nature. The Scottish
champions are ready to recycle the key element that has fuelled their
progress to the last 16 of the competition when AC Milan walk out tonight
for the first knockout round, first leg — the passion of Celtic Park. Taming
that force has been beyond virtually every European side and Strachan will
hope that his players can replicate their 1-0 success over Manchester United
last November that set up the richest night in Celtic’s history, as the club
banks £3.5 million from a sellout 60,000 audience.
Only once in 12 Champions League group games have Celtic lost in their own
backyard. That was to Barcelona in September 2004. They have not lost a
European goal since Henrik Larsson, their former icon, scored that night for
the Spanish side, so Strachan wants those old habits to accompany his
players as they enter new territory.
It is the first time in the modern competition that the club that won the
European Cup in 1967 has been this far. AC Milan, in contrast, have won it
six times, with Paolo Maldini, their 39-year-old captain being part of four
of the five modern triumphs. When Maldini came to the East End of Glasgow in
December 2004 for a group match, he described Celtic Park as the best
atmosphere he had ever experienced.
The 0-0 draw on that evening merely brought the curtain down on a campaign in
which the Celtic fans already knew that qualification was beyond Martin
O’Neill’s team. The fact that something far more tangible awaits at the end
of 180 minutes with Milan this time, ought to heighten the Celtic Park
decibel level.
Massimo Oddo, the Milan defender, acknowledged that yesterday, when he stated:
“We face a team with a different mindset than ours, they have a fighting
spirit and their physical strength is their strongest asset. Celtic are a
very scary side at home.”
Strachan was not really keen on harking back to that 2004 meeting with the
Italian side, or dwelling on what some might term, Fortress Parkhead. “I
still think the fear of being beaten in the best motivation of all,” the
Celtic manager said yesterday when asked about Celtic Park’s remarkable
Champions League statistics. “If you do not have that then you cannot run
quicker, or track back and tackle faster than your opponent. With regard to
the tie, I would like to stop Milan from scoring. I don’t think it will end
up 0-0 but I want to keep it tight.”
Strachan’s optimism is tempered by the fact that a dreadful spate of injuries
to his central defenders — Gary Caldwell suffered knee ligament damage and
Bobo Bal-de a broken leg, in November and December, respectively — and the
ineligibility of recent recruit, Steven Pressley, who played in this
competition for Heart of Midlothian, has forced the manager to promote
Darren O’Dea. The Irish teen-ager has just 20 minutes of Champions League
football to his name, as a substitute away to FC Copenhagen, in contrast to
Maldini, who makes his 100th Champions League appearance tonight.
Caldwell trained with the first team yesterday for the first time since his
injury in a desperate attempt to catch Strachan’s eye. “He tried his best to
get in everyone’s face and prove he was ready but it is too early for Gary,”
Strachan said. “I feel sorry for him. This is a huge match. The players have
done so well this season, that they deserve this game.
“European games here are a real occasion. There is something about night
games. I enjoyed them more when I was a player. I don’t think Manchester
United were overawed here but I think that my players enjoyed the backing
they received — and the fans certainly enjoyed the night.”
Strachan is going back to his tried-and-trusted 4-4-2 formation after dabbling
with 4-5-1 in the first half of the United contest to contain the threat and
pace of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. This time, he will simply trust
the speed of his own players.
“We would like to play the game at our own pace,” the Celtic manager said.
“Let’s go out and try to make the the pace uncomfortable for them. I hope
our tempo can upset them. The system we played against United was different
from the one we used against Benfica and against FC Copenhagen. The only
similarity was that we won all three games. It will be different again for
Milan. However, it is not what managers do that is important. Ultimately, it
is the players who decide if you win or lose.”
Strachan has several of those. The most notable, Shunsuke Nakamura, whose free
kick defeated Manchester United, is well know to Milan after his three years
in Serie A with Reggiana. However, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, the forward,
encountered Milan in a heartbreaking Champions League semi-final defeat in
2004 with PSV Eindhoven, when the Italians snatched a stoppage-time winner.
However, Strachan does not expect any cynicism from Carlo Ancelotti’s side to
curb his matchwinners. “The Gentile Days in Italian football have gone,” the
Celtic manager said. “No one does man-marking any more. Players like
Nakamura expect to be kicked. He is the most kicked player in the
Premierleague but it is a cliché to believe that he can be kicked out of the
game — that was 30 years ago. Namakura never stands still long enough to be
kicked, that is why he runs eight miles during every game.”
Strachan’s own grasp of figures would do Uefa proud. The one number he wants
more than any other, is to see “zero” next to Milan’s name on the Celtic
Park scoreboard and has identified Andrea Pirlo, the playmaker who scored
when Celtic lost 3-1 in the San Siro in 2004, as the principal threat.
Pirlo’s free-kicks can match Nakamura for accuracy.
One player Celtic will not have to worry about is Ronaldo. The Brazil player
is ineligible to play for Milan after his recent move from Real Madrid,
which is good in the light of the two goals on his debut in the 4-3 win over
Siena at the weekend.
Alberto Gilardino, the striker, travelled with the squad to Glasgow but will
also be missing because of a knee injury, Carlo Ancelotti, the Milan
manager, said last night.
CELTIC (possible 4-4-2): A Boruc — M Wilson, D O’Dea, S McManus, L
Naylor — S Nakamura, N Lennon, T Gravesen, A McGeady — Beattie, J Vennegoor
of Hesselink.
AC MILAN (possible 4-4-2): M Storari — M Oddo, D Bonera, M Jankulovski,
P Maldini — A Pirlo, R Gattuso, C Seedorf, Kaka — A Gilardi-no, R Oliveira.
Referee: T Hauge (Norway).
