FORTUNE WILL FAVOUR BRAVE

Courage to play normal system is key to success, insists Deila

MALMO are not Ronny Deila’s biggest worry. It’s the fear itself. The paralysing impact of lacking courage on the European stage. Minutes after overcoming Qarabag in Azerbaijan, Celtic’s manager claimed he and his team are under more pressure to reach the Champions League group stage than any other club. Their standing and prestige is on the line. A £ 16million windfall with it.

Age Hareide, a wily, gnarled veteran of the Scandinavian scene, knows this and has picked away at Celtic’s insecurities. Comparing them unfavourably to both his side and Red Bull Salzburg — who they thumped 3-0 in Malmo in the last round — he has painted the Parkhead crowd as a bigger threat than the team.

Deila knows his game. He knows him well. He has heard it all before.

In the Norwegian league, the younger man was a factor in Hareide’s sacking from Viking Stavanger. He won five of his six tactical jousts between the pair.

Whatever the pressures on Celtic the club, then, the manager bears an air of quiet confidence. He knows he can win his personal battle and will sit his players down tonight to urge them to show the courage to win theirs.

If they do, says the manager, they will reach the Champions League.

‘We have a very clear system we play with and that will be the future for us,’ stated Deila.

‘It has brought us to where we are now and it’s just the start.

‘We have to do the things we have done for a year as well as possible. That’s courage.

‘That’s what we believe in and the most important thing.

‘The players and the system done well are the things that will take us through the Champions League.’

Courage is rarely a problem in Scottish football. Celtic know they will win games in the SPFL, even when Dedryck Boyata ships late goals to teams like Inverness.

‘I think he was one of our best players against Qarabag,’ said Deila in defence of the Belgian.

‘People are taking about the last game against Inverness, but that was just two things and he has been one of our best players.

‘It can happen to anyone at some point and I haven’t seen it in the other games. I wouldn’t swap our two central defenders with many players in the world.

‘We also have a good goalkeeper and we conceded no chances against Qarabag.

‘If you attack, it doesn’t have to be that you are vulnerable behind.

‘You have to do both and I think we did that well against Qarabag. Hopefully it will be even better against Malmo.’

Keeping a clean sheet at home while finding the courage and spaces to attack is important. Patience was required against Qarabag, a late Boyata header the only goal over two legs, and they might need that tonight, as well. But this time Celtic know what they are up against. Hareide’s Malmo hold no surprises.

The Swedes are stronger at home than away. They lost the first leg to Red Bull 2-0 in Austria. Ominously, they recovered to score three in the return.

Asked if he would settle for a 1-0 tonight, Deila said: ‘It depends how the game is. If we are dominant and create a lot of chances, I will not be happy with 1-0 — I will want more.

‘If it is a tight game and we get 1-0, I will take it.

‘We will see what’s happening tomorrow. It’s very hard to say what is good or bad before we see the performance.

‘Hopefully we get a result which will make us hard to beat in Malmo.’

In Europe, Deila has had to temper his natural attacking i nstincts. Compromises and sacrifices have been made away from home, yet his campaign to make Celtic Park a feared venue once more continues tonight.

A crowd of 55,000 is anticipated and Deila would clearly like to make the second leg as comfortable as possible by blowing Malmo away.

‘I can be a little bit naive at times with the way I want to play,’ he admitted. ‘But I believe football is entertainment.

‘I said that from my first days here, my dream is for Celtic to be kings of our castle here. We have to attack and we will always do that.

‘That’s important because it will develop players and teams in the end. You get good results that way.

‘So we will be our normal selves against Malmo, the same way we have done over the past year. That’s what will make us go through.’

Asked to clarify what he meant, he added: ‘Maybe naive is a stupid word, but I believe we can do it if we play together as a team.

‘It’s different away from home but, at home, we need to show we have 60,000 people behind us.’

Deila has been facing the same questions since the first qualifying round against Stjarnan and will be relieved when Celtic’s Champions League fate is finally confirmed.

There were more queries on the pressure levels yesterday. On what has changed since the wretched qualifying attempts of last season. And what it would mean to Celtic to reach the group stage. Neither would it be a Champions League press conference without questions on who will get the nod up front, Leigh Griffiths or Nadir Ciftci?

‘Both of them are going to be important anyway,’ said Deila.

‘Nadir came from Dundee United to Celtic, a big club.

‘He goes straight into European matches and you can’t expect too much.

‘I think he has worked hard and you can see he has skills.

‘He’s a different type from Leigh, but both are good players and each one will be important.’

He was equally non-committal on new signing Scott Allan making an appearance.

‘We’ll see about Scott,’ said Deila. ‘We haven’t picked our squad yet, but he is in the 20 just now and we’ll see.’

It would be a brave call to pitch a debutant into a game with such high stakes but, as Deila himself admits, it’s a night for bold, courageous actions. Celtic’s Champions League fate might depend on them.

“Hopefully the result will make us hard to beat over in Malmo”