EUROPEAN NIGHTS AT CELTIC ARE SPECIAL - WE KNOW
WFRE CAPABLE OF GAINING THREE VALURBLE POINTS
IF WE CONTINUE TO CREATE
CHANCES THEN I KNOW WE HAVE
THE PLAYERS IN THE TEAM WHO
CAN TAKE THEM
RESPECT
GOOD evening and welcome
to Celtic Park for tonight's
UEFA Europa League tie
against Ajax. A warm
welcome, too, goes to our
visitors from The Netherlands.
European nights here are special
occasions and we're hoping that
tonight will be another one of those
occasions that fans will remember
and talk about fondly.
That means, of course, that we
have to win the game. It's going to
be a tough match but it's also one
that we all believe that we can win
and keep our hopes of qualifying
for the knockout stages of the
tournament alive.
Our first game in this season's
group stages was in the Amsterdam
ArenA, and we felt that we were
unlucky not to have returned
home with all three points. Twice
we led in the match, only for Ajax
to equalise, although their second
equaliser only came after we had
been reduced to 10 men,
So we know that we're capable of
creating and taking chances against
tonight's opponents, although
I'm sure they are saying the same
thing.
Frank De Boer's side warmed up
for this game with an impressive
5-1 home win over Cambuur at the
weekend, and that result, along
with the fact that they are top of
the table in Holland, serves as a
warning to us that they will be a
threat tonight.
We're out in front in the Scottish
Premiership, too, although it was
frustrating to only get a point at
the weekend with a goal-less draw
against Kilmarnock.
But we're still creating chances,
and if we do so again tonight,
then I know we have the players
in the team who can take them.
Our target is to remain in this
competition for as long as we can.
We enjoyed that experience last
season and we want to do it again
this time around.
Your support in this is absolutely
vital, and we will be doing
everything we can to ensure it's a
night to enjoy at Celtic Park, and
we can then look forward to our
final group-stage fixture.
Enjoy the game.
05
