Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen doesn’t know Ange Postecoglou, but he certainly knows of him, and he not only appreciates Celtic’s style of play, he sees a lot of his own side’s traits in the Celtic team his Norwegian Champions will face in the Europa League Last 16 tie at Celtic Park tomorrow night.
Speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow’s match, as reported by Daily Record Knutsen has indicated he has done his homework on Ange Postecoglou’s team and he likes what he sees, pointing to the strength Celtic have on both sides of their team anchored by the vision of Callum McGregor orchestrating matters from the No6 role, but feels he can counter Celtic’s game plan by matching the Celts up.
“I don’t know him. I know his history, that is all. But the most interesting thing is that we have seen is their last 11 games and we really like the team and the way they play. They are similar to us. Celtic is similar to us. They are an attacking team and attack with two engines.
“One on the left side with Taylor, Hatate and Jota with a lot of rotation and penetration. They do the same on the right side with Juranovic, Rogic and Abada.
“They also have the captain McGregor who gives balance to the team and can switch the play from side to side. For me they are a team. And I have to say the manager and his team have done a great job as they started coaching this team from the summer. They have really developed the team.
“It is important that we have a counter plan. Celtic want to dominate the game and we want to do the same. If we are really good at playing the press and dominate the game, we can give them problems.”
The Bodo/Glimt boss has also touched on the different circumstances in terms of preparation both sides go into this match, with the Norwegians not due to start their league campaign until April, this will be the first competitive match following their pre-season, so on one hand the Norwegians may be viewed as being physically fresh if not a little undercooked, whereby Celtic could argue although match sharp they carry the physical baggage of a long hard season already.
📍Celtic Park 🌧 pic.twitter.com/8TuabzElcP
— FK Bodø/Glimt (@Glimt) February 16, 2022
“We know the circumstances, Celtic are in the middle of the season in really good shape. We are in pre-season. That’s the way it is. We have been in Spain for three and a half weeks and worked really well. We have a new team, we have sold four really good players, but that’s the way it is and this is typical Bodo/Glimt, so it is not a new situation for us.
“The new players need time, but four weeks is okay and I think and hope we are competitive. I am not sure, but I hope. It is something to go from off-season to pre-season. We have played two games in Spain and it is different playing friendly games than playing a big game.”
“We play football with high intensity and it is normal in Bodo/Glimt that we need more than four weeks to be ready to play football the way we want. I am pretty sure this team will be really good also this season, but this is the first real task. It is not easy to say.”
One advantage Celtic will certainly hold over Bodo Glimt, is the vociferous support Ange Postecoglou’s men will have behind them. With a hoped for sell out Celtic Park and 60,000 fans under the Parkhead lights, the Norwegians with a stadium capacity of just 8,500 and average crowds of just over 5000 may feel overawed, however Knutsen feels his own players can feed off the crowd too and use it as part of their own development.
“I know my players and with a full stadium we will get energy from the fans. We know we are playing against a big club with a great history and we will play against a team who at the moment is in great progress with a lot of confidence.”
“Hopefully, we will play in full stadium. I have been here once. It is a big task for us, but we have played big teams before and done well so I really feel we are well-prepared. We are never talking about winning, we are talking about the performance and developing. The players and the team and the result will come because of hard work every day. It is our culture.”
Bodo Glimt and Celtic both seem to have similar playing philosophies; they also play with almost identical 4-3-3 formations and both managers seem cut from the same cloth when it comes to their outlook on how the game should be played. As such tomorrow night’s match at Celtic Park promises to be a feast of attacking football under two managers with almost identical footballing philosophies.
Niall J
