Tradition dictates that tomorrow night’s UEFA Champions League meeting of the reigning Scottish and English champions should make for an entertaining and eventful evening.
But despite the proud custom of attacking football embraced by both Celtic and Manchester United, Gordon Strachan is well aware of the pitfalls that this Group E encounter at Old Trafford will hold.
Speaking at this afternoon’s pre-match press conference in Manchester, the Celtic manager was fulsome in his praise of the UEFA Champions League holders, explaining that they were an improved outfit from the one that his team met two years ago in the same competition.
Those encounters turned out to be classics, with United winning 3-2 at home and Shunsuke Nakamura scoring the only goal of the game in an unforgettable tie at Celtic Park.
“The traditions of the clubs say that we have to try and entertain and attack,” Gordon Strachan said. “We will do our best, but a lot of teams come here and say that and the traffic always seems to go the one way.
“You come with great intentions when you come here and I’ve seen people say that teams sit in when they come here. No they don’t, they just can’t get out, there’s a big difference.
“We are going to play the best team in Europe, they are the champions of England, the champions of Europe and that tells you that they are the best team in Europe, with some of the best players in the world.
“The players know what’s coming and we are looking forward to the challenge. A lot of them were here two years ago, so they know what to expect. They enjoyed the experience two years ago and you can only enjoy the experience if you perform well and are happy with your contribution.”
The United squad list reads like a current ‘who’s who’ of world football, with the prodigiously gifted Cristiano Ronaldo expected to start alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.
Celtic FC Press
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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