Former Celtic assistant boss Chris Davies reckons the fans were like "hyenas" during blockbuster European nights at Parkhead as he reflected on his time at the club with Brendan Rodgers.
Rodgers and Davies led an all-conquering Celtic side as they sealed an Invincible Treble in the debut campaign, before following that up with a second consecutive domestic clean sweep before returning to the English Premier League in February 2019 to join Leicester. Davies, who followed the Northern Irishman to the King Power Stadium, has looked back on the "expectation" for success that came with stepping into the Celtic Park dugout.
He admitted it was tough to shift from the Scottish Premiership to the Champions League group stage - but felt that the cauldron in Glasgows east end was a major difference maker on European nights. Speaking to The Coaches' Voice, Davies said: "The first season we got there was Rangers’ first back in the Scottish Premiership, and there was a lot of expectation around them.
"But we were totally dominant. Celtic were a team that were used to dominating, but we were able to take their control of games a step further. We went the entire domestic season unbeaten, completing what they called the ‘Invincible Treble’.
"We won all three trophies without losing a single game. The next season, we won the Treble again. And, when we left towards the end of the following campaign, we were on course to win it again. The team won it after we’d gone. The expectation there was immense. I did a press conference after a draw away to Inverness, and I heard the words ‘crisis’ and ‘panic’ used in the questions. The level of scrutiny was really high, but to be honest I liked it because I thought it was fair.
"It was aligned with reality. The expectation was to win every game, and I enjoyed that. It was different when it came to the Champions League, though. The atmosphere at Celtic Park was incredible. I’ve seen elite players, coaches and staff members taken aback by the noise that came out of the stadium. I used to joke that the fans were like hyenas because of the screeching that came out of the stands.
"We were often playing against the best – Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG – and we had some memorable nights in Europe. I do think it’s difficult to be so dominant on a weekly basis in the league, often having 70 per cent of the ball, and then adapt to play such different games in Europe. It’s like a different sport."
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