Post by Taxigirl on Mar 25, 2004 11:09:54 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/3565397.stm
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill is backing rookie goalkeeper David Marshall to handle the hostile atmosphere of the Nou Camp on Thursday night.
The 19-year-old has made just a handful of first-team appearances but is out to silence a 90,000-plus crowd and keep out Barcelona's star-studded line-up.
"He's looking forward to the game," O'Neill told reporters.
"He's quiet and unassuming and in the games he's played so far he has shown a certain maturity."
Marshall plays because Scotland keeper Robert Douglas was sent off after a half-time scuffle in the tunnel during the first leg of the Uefa Cup fourth round tie.
"I think he personally phoned Uefa up a couple of days ago to say they definitely made the right decision and that Rab should be suspended for longer," joked O'Neill.
"I hope they're not my famous last words. He is looking forward to the game and I have plenty of confidence in him."
O'Neill was smiling again as he revealed that Chris Sutton, Alan Thompson and Stanislav Varga were winning their race to be fit.
All three have encouraged him in training after being hit by recent injuries and O'Neill is likely to include the trio in his starting line-up.
"The fitness update on Chris Sutton, Stan Varga and Alan Thompson is not bad at all," he enthused.
"Stan has trained for a couple of days and Alan the same and they aren't feeling too bad.
"If you have asked me about Chris last week I'd have said he'd have no chance of playing but as the days have gone he has got better.
"This morning he trained, which was his third day of training, and he feels great - but I think we'll see how he feels in the morning."
O'Neill believes Barcelona are the best team in La Liga at present and fears Celtic's 1-0 lead from the first leg might not be good enough.
"I have to drum into the players how important it is to score, but that won't be easy," said O'Neill.
"We have showed in the past that we are capable of scoring away from home, but at the moment Barcelona are the best team in Spain.
"I think we will have to score to have any chance of going through and one goal might not be enough, but that would give us a big chance.
"We know they come out at us, but we must try to put pressure on them at the other end."
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill is backing rookie goalkeeper David Marshall to handle the hostile atmosphere of the Nou Camp on Thursday night.
The 19-year-old has made just a handful of first-team appearances but is out to silence a 90,000-plus crowd and keep out Barcelona's star-studded line-up.
"He's looking forward to the game," O'Neill told reporters.
"He's quiet and unassuming and in the games he's played so far he has shown a certain maturity."
Marshall plays because Scotland keeper Robert Douglas was sent off after a half-time scuffle in the tunnel during the first leg of the Uefa Cup fourth round tie.
"I think he personally phoned Uefa up a couple of days ago to say they definitely made the right decision and that Rab should be suspended for longer," joked O'Neill.
"I hope they're not my famous last words. He is looking forward to the game and I have plenty of confidence in him."
O'Neill was smiling again as he revealed that Chris Sutton, Alan Thompson and Stanislav Varga were winning their race to be fit.
All three have encouraged him in training after being hit by recent injuries and O'Neill is likely to include the trio in his starting line-up.
"The fitness update on Chris Sutton, Stan Varga and Alan Thompson is not bad at all," he enthused.
"Stan has trained for a couple of days and Alan the same and they aren't feeling too bad.
"If you have asked me about Chris last week I'd have said he'd have no chance of playing but as the days have gone he has got better.
"This morning he trained, which was his third day of training, and he feels great - but I think we'll see how he feels in the morning."
O'Neill believes Barcelona are the best team in La Liga at present and fears Celtic's 1-0 lead from the first leg might not be good enough.
"I have to drum into the players how important it is to score, but that won't be easy," said O'Neill.
"We have showed in the past that we are capable of scoring away from home, but at the moment Barcelona are the best team in Spain.
"I think we will have to score to have any chance of going through and one goal might not be enough, but that would give us a big chance.
"We know they come out at us, but we must try to put pressure on them at the other end."