Lisbon Lion Bobby Lennox is relishing the upcoming Champions League rematch against Manchester United tomorrow evening and he has urged the whole of Celtic Park to get behind the team and roar them on to another victory over the men from Old Trafford.
Celtic had no complaints following their recent defeat in Manchester. The Champions League fixture at Old Trafford saw their dismal away form continue but taking something from the home of the current European Champions was always going to be a big ask. But Celtic at 'Fortress Parkhead' are a different proposition entirely and a Henrik Larsson inspired Barcelona are the only team to have taken all three points from a Champions League tie against the Celts at Paradise.
Lennox, also known as the 'buzz-bomb' during his playing days, knows just how much of a lift those fans can give and how their passion can spur the team to greater heights. "The atmosphere is unbelievable at Celtic Park," he said "It's just so noisy. When we came out the tunnel, the 'Jungle' would be roaring and it was always behind you. I just hope the whole stadium is behind them on Wednesday."
Bobby also encouraged the players to be brave and to stand tall against the Red Devils "They have to stand up and be counted for a start, which most of them are good at," said the former European champion "They have got to be brave when they have the ball, keep it as long as they can, and face up to them when they have the ball."
The Lisbon veteran knows that the support really can be that mythical 'twelfth man' tomorrow night if they are also at their best "But teams that come to Glasgow get it hard." he said "We have the best support in the world and on Wednesday they have to support the team from start to finish. No matter how the game goes, they cannot get edgy. If the terracing gets edgy, the team gets edgy."
Pat Crerand, a former team-mate of Bobby's at Celtic who went on to be a European Champion with Manchester United, is also looking forward to the game and he thinks Aiden McGeady will play a pivotal part in the proceedings at Celtic Park tomorrow. The Celtic winger attracted the attention of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson long before the teams were drawn to play each other in the Champions League.
"I know Alex tried to sign McGeady when he was about 13 and his father wouldn't let him go to England," said Crerand "He is a very talented player and he can give anybody problems. If you get someone that plays wide and can dribble, it's very difficult. I think why United are so good in English football is because they have always played with two wingers."
"Sometimes defenders can't cope with wingers because there are not many teams play with wingers any more. When you are playing against someone who is running at you, it's a problem." Paddy continued "How would you like to be a left-back with Cristiano Ronaldo or Ryan Giggs running at you? All you would want to do is kick them, and hope you kick them early enough."