It has been a long overdue wait for an almost full capacity Celtic Park to return to how it was pre-COVID. The 18,500 fans allowed in against West Ham United and Midtjylland was something of a treat for supporters who had to endure an entire 2020/21 campaign without being allowed back to Paradise; but that number may be increased once more for the visit of Jablonec – with a full house potentially in the offing.
Ange Postecoglou’s men beat the Czech outfit 4-2 on Thursday evening, leaving them with a great chance of progressing to the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League – although the daunting prospect of AZ Alkmaar awaits the Bhoys’ should they wrap things up in Glasgow next week.
However, with a manager who already sounds like he has admitted defeat, Jablonec boss Petr Rada has let the public know of the fears that await his side at Celtic Park.
The tie is now all about our players not being too frightened next week. If you don’t play European football every season and have played a season without any fans and suddenly 60,000 supporters come to your match, it’s not going to be easy. The prospect is giving me even more wrinkles on my head. Celtic fans are famous, they sell their stadium out for every match. It will be hell.
At half time I told the players that if they continued to play as they did in the first half, they would be thrashed. I think losing by only a goal would have been acceptable, but the fourth goal was a terrible one to lose for us. So it’s up to us to go to Glasgow next week and adapt to what is a difficult position for us.
Ange couldn’t have asked for a faster track to the playoff round of the Europa League, but it is up to his players to not become consistent and finish the job off at the first packed-out Paradise since March 2020.
