Paul Hartley was part of a Celtic team that qualified from a Champions League group containing AC Milan, Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk.
A year later he was in the side that failed to progress from a quartet that included Manchester United, Villareal and Aalborg. Fair to say then that the former Hoops star is a good judge of what lies ahead as Ange Postecoglou ’s troops prepare to take their first steps back into the group stage of the competition for five years.
And when he warns that the challenge facing them will be even more difficult now than in his time then it’s time to listen. Not only has the financial gap between Europe’s haves and have nots expanded in the 15 years since Hartley was strutting his stuff in Gordon Strachan’s side. But the game in general has moved on too with the top sides producing the kind of fast, free-flowing, attacking football that makes you scared to blink in case you miss it.
Having to change your approach from the bread and butter fare of the Scottish Premiership to tackle the cream of the continent is nothing new. But Hartley insists it’s crucial when it comes to trying to plunder points on the big stage.
And while Postecoglou is on record insisting he will never compromise on his footballing principles - no matter the cost - Hartley reckons the megabucks on offer for Champions League progression Hartley might just convince him to rein it in a little. Especially on the road.
The Hoops’ record in the group stage during the 45-year-old’s two years in the east end of Glasgow makes for stark reading when it comes to trying to topple the giants on home soil compared to foreign turf.
In the two successive group stage campaigns in 2007/08 and 2008/09 not one of the six home games were lost - with the aforementioned Milan, Benfica, Shakhtar and Villareal all beaten. Yet every one of the six ties on the road ended in defeat.
Hartley can’t wait to see his old side back among the big boys. But he had a word of caution ahead of tomorrow’s draw when asked if it would be difficult to deploy Angeball on the Champions League. He said: “You’re playing against better players and better teams that are better organised and can spend £50 million on one player. So it’s not always easy to play the way Ange wants, especially away from home.
“I’ve been there myself. We had to be really organised away from home but we were different at Celtic Park because of the crowd - the Celtic supporters want to drive you forward all the time. I don’t think Ange does compromise!
“He has a style - and we’ve all got styles - but sometimes you’ve got to say, ‘we’re playing against better players today and we might get punished more’. It’s harder to get out of the groups now.
“But if you’ve got a good enough squad you have to believe in yourself. And I’ve always thought the backing of the home supporters is vital in these games.”
Fresh from a remarkable debut season that saw him claw back the title and unlock the door back into the Champions League proper, Postecoglou claims his work at Celtic Park has only just began. And there’s no better place than Europe to take the next step, following last year’s disappointing exit at the qualifying stage which was followed up by a failed attempt to make it through the Europa League groups.
Having seen Rangers go all the way to the final of the latter competition, Hartley reckons all eyes will now be on Postecoglou and his players to see if they too can make an impression on the continent. The Hartlepool boss reckons it’s a huge season for the Aussie.
He said: “In Europe, certainly. We saw what Rangers did over the last couple of years in the Europa League so it’s a big challenge for Celtic in the Champions League.
“Financially it’s a lot of money and they’ll want to do well in there, not just make up the numbers. I was lucky enough to get to the last 16 with Celtic.
“Reaching the group stage is excellent but the next stage, and the next challenge for Ange is to try to get out of it, and that’s never going to be easy. I like listening to him. I don’t know him but I’d like to speak to him - I like the way he talks.
“He’s really honest, which is unusual for managers now. He tells you how it is: if you play well, you play well; if you don’t play well, you don’t play well.”
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