Celts will be too good for Rosenborg — just like my Saints were
ROSENBORG didn’t enjoy their last meeting with Scottish opposition. Four years ago, the most successful club in Norway ran into a St Johnstone side newly managed by Tommy Wright. And came off second best.
Happy memories of that 2-1 aggregate victory in the Europa League qualifiers filtered back into Wright’s mind on Wednesday evening. Working for Northern Irish media, he was at Parkhead to see Celtic sweep aside Linfield and set up a Champions League third qualifying round tie with the team from Trondheim.
Wright expects compatriot Brendan Rodgers will go on to attain the same outcome he once enjoyed. The McDiarmid Park boss knows that Rosenborg — who needed extra-time to see off Dundalk — will represent a step up in quality from a part-time Linfield side dispatched 6-0 on aggregate by Celtic.
The fact they are currently midway through the Norwegian league season — and sitting top of the table — adds a further element of danger.
Even so, Wright looks at the work Rodgers has undertaken and believes the Premiership champions can take another step towards securing a £30million group-stage bounty.
Asked if he thought Celtic would progress, Wright said: ‘Yes, with the quality they have in the squad. They might even strengthen again before that tie.
‘I think the quality they have, and how they go about their business, will make them too strong for Rosenborg.
‘They had the wee hiccup at the start of their European campaign last season against Lincoln Red Imps but they have gone from strength to strength since then.
‘They create lots of chances. Brendan will be looking for them to be a wee bit sharper in front of goal come the Rosenborg games and I would expect Celtic to go through.’
Parkhead will host the first leg next Wednesday evening, the reverse of the schedule Wright’s men faced in 2013.
Then, a close-range goal from Frazer Wright gave Saints victory in the Lerkendal Stadion before Stevie May scored in a 1-1 draw at McDiarmid Park to secure progression.
‘It brings back unbelievable memories for St Johnstone and myself,’ admitted Wright, who stepped up from assistant manager to succeed Steve Lomas that summer.
‘It was my first game. It was a great result and probably one of the best results the club has had in Europe. And away from home, it is one of the best results a Scottish club has achieved.
‘That was four years ago and I don’t know as much about them now. I do know they will be a different proposition to Linfield.
‘Celtic were expected to beat Linfield and will be expected to beat Rosenborg as well. Rosenborg will be mid-season and they will be a much more difficult proposition for Celtic.
‘Four years ago, I had watched Rosenborg against Crusaders in the round before they played us.
‘We felt they played a very high line and we had planned to play Stevie May against them, but he picked up a knock in the first game and didn’t play across there. We also felt we could get joy against them at set-plays.
‘We worked extremely hard on our game plan and also had a wee bit of luck in the second leg.
‘Alan Mannus was outstanding, we defended well and we eventually got over the line.
‘There was definitely belief that we could win. Dundalk would have thought that as well, even though they went out on Wednesday after extra-time.’
Wright believes Saints were able to exploit a wider feeling of complacency in 2013. That weapon will not be available to Rodgers.
‘When I went to watch them over there, I sensed they thought it was going to be a formality against a team like St Johnstone,’ recalled Wright.
‘That certainly won’t be the case with a team like Celtic. When we played them there was only something like 5,000 people there and that shows that maybe their supporters thought it was going to be an easy game.
‘Things helped us and we used them to our advantage. Celtic v Rosenborg brings a totally different perspective. Celtic will be favourites and Brendan will know it will be a difficult tie.
‘The atmosphere at Celtic Park and in Trondheim will be totally different to what we experienced.’
Banking another fortune in Champions League revenue would only further strengthen Celtic’s dominance of the Scottish game.
Rodgers has so far built upon their unbeaten Treble-winning campaign with the acquisitions of Olivier Ntcham, Jonny Hayes and Kundai Benyu. Others will follow.
‘They have signed players and probably aren’t finished on that front either,’ said Wright. ‘That’s the beauty of being at a big club. If you do well, you are able to get quality players in.
‘Brendan has certainly recruited well with players like (Moussa) Dembele and (Scott) Sinclair. Even the players he inherited have kicked on, guys like Stuart Armstrong.
‘For the rest of us, they have strengthened well again and it is going to be the toughest game in the fixture list for every team this season.
‘I think it is great for somebody like Jonny Hayes, at 30, to get a move to a big club. Jonny should be an inspiration to a lot of young players out there.
‘He went to Inverness and got his career back on track, and did extremely well at Aberdeen.
‘Then he moves on to Celtic at this stage in his career. It shows if you work hard and perform, you can still get that big move.’