ZENIT ST PETERSBURG v CELTIC Brendanvows to lay siege on Leningrad with onus on attack in Celts’ quest to reach last-16
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE
IN ST PETERSBURG T was a joke. Probably. A silly throwaway line handed out by a football manager to a ragtag bunch of hacks 24 hours or so before his team play what is a huge match in European football.
But, then, Brendan Rodgers is far more serious than silly. So, when he was asked about his uncharacteristic celebration after Callum McGregor’s quite brilliant goal against Zenit St Petersburg, a run down the wing which Danny McGrain would have been proud of, he just might have meant what he had in mind for an encore.
That’s how much t his Europa League tie means to the man and his football club. It’s not Lisbon, Leeds or Seville, but in 2018 getting to the last 16 of this competition would be something to celebrate. Even in a silly manner.
Last season, before and when Rodgers had led Celtic to the group stage of the Champions League, the Irishman made the point that his team were up against it just to get through qualification.
And again tonight in Russia this great football club, should they win, would be beating the odds. And by some.
IAch, could you blame him for going a touch mad if Celtic do it? “It might be a full lap this time,” said Rodgers about his potential reaction to a positive result. “It’s emotion. One: we were playing well; and two: was the brilliance of the goal. It was the 78th minute and we scored a brilliant goal. To see our young squad play with such confidence and score like that took over. Listen, hopefully I’m running up the touchline again. I’d take that.
“I take pride is staying calm – but I’m not different to any other manager in how I feel inside. I’ve played and coached in a lot of games and I trained myself to keep my emotions intact, but my feelings are like anyone else inside.
“I tend to reserve it and contain it, but sometimes it comes out. I’m an emotional guy and it was a great moment for us in the game. What was pleasing was that we made the next step forward after the goal – and that was not conceding which gives us a platform going into this game.”
AND it is a more than decent platform. Celtic have a hell of a chance here but then they have been before and fallen short.
Not a lot, it must be said, over many years which is why a win tonight would be an achievement. And that goes especially for the manager, not that he’s having any of that.
“For me, personally, I never really think along that route,” said Rodgers. “I see the team grow and develop and improve. Okay, some of the numbers maybe don’t match last season but that was a historical season. But there are still lots of great positives of where we’ve been this year and where we are as a club.
“If we can make that next step tomorrow night then that will be absolutely brilliant for us and we can go on and focus on a last-16 tie. If we play at the level we played in the first game we can be a match for any team.
“But, of course, there will always be an expectancy on the other team because of their standing and probably the quality that they have.
“It’s more for the club and supporters. I’ve shown in my time here that I want to leave a legacy where we can continually improve. We have done that this year and this would be another big step, given the level of competition.”
An early goal would help. It usually does. This would mean, calculators at the ready, that Zenit would need three at least.
“We would want to score,” said Rodgers. “I think that’s more the point. Our idea is to go and win the game. If we can’t win it, okay, try not to lose it. That’s key. We believe we can score and that’s what we want to do.
“It’s important that we keep our concentration. You see it at all levels. You saw the Chelsea game on Tuesday. Chelsea were outstanding in their defensive organisation. It only takes one mistake at that level and players punish you.
“Last week we never had that. We just had one moment where they got down the side and crossed it and Dorus [De Vries] made a good save. Apart from that we defended very well. If we can do that and attack well alongside that, we believe we will score.”
CELTIC in Europe, at any stage, is a fascinating watch. God only knows what they can and can’t do at any given time.
And yet for all this