FCBARCELONA.CAT

03.03.2008 18:46

Strachan: “It’s a big ask”

Berta Brau

The Celtic manager thinks that percentages of success or failure don’t come into it as “it’ll be game of players and not of statistics”.

Gordon Strachan held a press conference this afternoon, Monday, at his team’s hotel at which he said that beating Barça in the Camp Nou is “a big ask”, mostly because the Catalans played “really well” in the first leg and got a result that puts them in the driving seat.

Not giving up hope

The Bhoys coach said that in spite of the result at Celtic Park, his team is not giving up hope “because anything is possible in football and I believe that the players can turn the tie around.” Strachan stressed the fact that it is meaningless to talk about percentages as “it’ll be game of players and not of statistics”.

Planning for the game

“We always want to win any game we play because we’re a proud side and tomorrow won’t be any different,” Strachan said. Asked about how he was going to plan for the game, the Celtic coach said that “when you’re playing against a very tactical side like Barcelona which is playing very well, you have to get the planning right so that every player knows what they have to do and can give it their best shot.” Strachan believes that ball possession will be crucial in the game this Tuesday and so when his players do get hold of it, they need to go all out.

Extra motivation

Playing against a quality side is usually pretty good motivation for his players, Strachan added. “I think that it will motivate them because with games like this players get the butterflies and they feel respect for their opponents and that helps them to go for broke.”