The Countdown Begins- Shakhter Donestk

Interesting soundbites coming oot of the Shakhter camp before tomorrow nights game. Today in his must weekly read "The Wing Column" in the Herald, Mark Wilson proves that there is some decent and knowledgeable journo's at that paper wie his weekly review of all things European.

Today he talks aboot the well documented thoughts of the Shakhter coach Mircea Lucescu. The main thought that caught ma eye is this

"I have sat down and told my players that this Celtic team is better than the one that O'Neill coached three years ago,"

The Celtic squad that night was...Marshall, McNamara, Balde, Varga, Agathe, Lennon, Juninho Paulista, Petrov, Sutton, Hartson, Camara.Subs: Hedman, Sylla, Pearson, Lambert, Wallace, McManus, McGeady

The Celtic squad which flew oot yesterday is...Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Scott Brown, Donati, McGeady, Riordan, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Killen, McDonald, Zurawski, Mark Brown, Kennedy, Hartley, Sno, O'Dea.

Now, the squad in 2004 was one that was breathing it's dying embers, a long drawn oot death that ended at Fir Park around 5 months later- though i will say probably the Scott Brown inspired Hibs gubbing us 3-1 at Celtic Park was the final nail in the coffin- and it was a team that couldnae lift itself post Larsson.

Today's squad is in it's infancy, full of the joys and full of the exuberance of youth. Inexperienced at Champs League level yes, but becoming experienced at Champs league level didnae do the class of 2004 any good. One thing the squad of today have in their favour is the cracking result already achieved this season in Europe, a result that gives us something to build on.

Looking at both squads the main difference is we are more mobile in midfield, but are similarly weak in the defensive areas and up front if i could get a fit John Hartson in his pomp then Scott McDonald could get his perfect partner.

It's unfair to compare the squads, as i said above both are / where at different levels of evolution and styles- one ruthlessly effective the other pleasing on the eye- are different.

Maybe three years on we are more European in style but comparisons can only be made when the seasons are long gone and when in the bar rooms of the world, in years to come, we are debating whether Mark Wilson was as good as Jackie Mac and why has Naka flourished where Juninho failed.

Three points tomorrow night might make the debate a bit more clearer though.

Forza