Tony Mowbray's Celtic were the guests of honour at the official opening of the new Cardiff City Stadium and although the match finished 0-0 the boss insists that his side are making good progress as they approach next Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Moscow.
Mowbray named a very strong starting eleven for the game against the Championship side and new Bhoy Landry N'Guemo, signed on a one-year loan deal from AS Nancy, showed in his 85 minutes on the field just why the Celtic boss has been tracking him for the past two years - the Cameroonian international midfielder provided a man-of-the-match display and if this was a typical performance from him then he'll rapidly become a fans favourite.
Celtic will now leave Wales and head for London and their two remaining challenge matches before the Dinamo Moscow qualifier. Wembley is the next stop on the itinerary and they'll play Al-Ahly on Friday and Spurs on Sunday in the Wembley Cup tournament which also features Barcelona. The manager thinks that his side are heading in the right direction.
"Are we on course for the Champions League?" asked Mowbray. "I think so. This was only our second game. We went all the way to Australia to play a football match. Now we've come down to Cardiff. We seem to be on the road a lot. We are going to Wembley now and have two tough fixtures there over the weekend. That first leg looms large a week tonight. In an ideal world, it is a bit early in our preparations but it is there, we have to take it on."
"I think there is enough evidence tonight to show that we will hopefully be more than competitive." added the boss. "I don't think the team suffered through lack of fitness tonight. With Shaun Maloney and Aiden McGeady on the field, we have a cutting edge and sharpness about the team that can create chances."
"It is pre-season and players need to get minutes on the pitch." said Mogga. "Because there is a Champions League game coming up it is a balancing act between trying to put a team out that can potentially play in that game but not forgetting there another dozen footballers who need time out there. If you just focus on 11 players then come the start of the season you are going to have another 11 or 12 who have never kicked a ball. It is a balancing act and one we are trying hard to get right."
The deadline for signings eligible to play in the Champions League qualifiers is 11pm today and although the boss didn't rule out any last minute signings he did state that he has confidence in the squad that he has at his disposal. "I wouldn't categorically rule out signings. A few things are ongoing and they either pick up speed quickly and are done or they stumble along and phone calls lead to problems." he said. "It can drag forever, but I won't rule it out. If it doesn't happen then I have good players here who can cope. Other clubs push the price up when we call, but it's not a concern. I'm here for the long-term."
"I'm here to build a football team over a period of time and do it so that you don't even see the join." added the boss. "You can't buy six players and all are brilliant from the word go. We'll add to the squad at the right time. I'd be hopeful of a signing, but there's evidence from tonight that the players we have already can push on. The players need help - Landry N'Guemo comes in and helps and we need competition for places all over. If we can get one or two in then great."