LUBO MORAVCIK believes Celtic have gone back to the future in their search for a Champions League group place.
The Hoops host Israeli title winners Hapoel Be’er Sheeva on Wednesday night in the first part of a double header which could lead to UEFA’s Promised Land.
In what was a hugely productive spell with the Parkhead club between 1998 and 2002, the little Slovakian won two Premier League Championships, a Scottish Cup, two League Cups and the lasting affection of Hoops fans, young and old.
However, much of the credit for his success he hands to Martin O’Neill, the Irishman’s arrival at the club in 2000 having ushered in a revolution in terms of the club’s approach to recruitment and playing style.
Moravcik finds himself reminded of that whirlwind by all the changes currently taking place at Celtic Park.
“With Brendan Rodgers in charge now, just as it was in our early days with Martin, there seems to be a real sense of renewed hope around the club,” he said.
“The fans are excited because they can see he has signed good players, which is important, as is the fact he has got everyone to take pleasure from the game.
“I was at the Motherwell match in midweek, and they won 5-0 with what, for me, was a near perfect performance.
“The team was very good, especially in the forward areas where they had a lot of movement and good passing.
“I think maybe the experience of the last couple of seasons, in which Celtic have failed to qualify for the Champions League, persuaded the directors they should do something different. That has led to them bringing better players to the club.
“Again, that is a reminder of what they did when Martin took over. Money was made available to him to spend and he used it to bring in the likes of Chris Sutton, John Hartson and Neil Lennon.
“There were similarities with the current side because we used the wings a lot and played many times with two strikers.
“There were always a lot of players attacking in the forward areas. If it was not Henrik Larsson who was causing teams problems, it was Chris Sutton or John Hartson.
“Of course, it is difficult to compare teams across the years but it also looks that way today.
“Scott Sinclair has the skill to play in the Premier League in England, but has chosen to play here which is great for Scottish football and especially for the Celtic fans.
“And he is just one option open to Brendan.
“Moussa Dembele is an important player, Leigh Griffiths is very good and Patrick Roberts is another who can bring a lot of hope for success through his talent.
“So the manager now has a lot of choices in the attacking areas, which is important because it means he is able to try different things to find the creativity they need on the pitch.
“I see a lot of young players being brought through, too, which makes me think Celtic are working hard on all fronts.”
Moravcik, who fulfilled a career ambition when helping the Hoops to their famous 4-3 victory over Juventus in the Champions League group stages 15 years ago, knows only too well, however, that how they fare in the play-off will determine how their season is judged.
“We all know the games against Hapoel Be’er Sheva are going to be very important,” said the 51-year-old.
“Football is a business and qualifying for the Champions League will bring in more money for the club.
“If they lose, there will still be the Europa League group to look forward to.
“But that is not the competition players dream of when they are fighting to establish themselves as professional footballers.
“Playing against the very best teams under the exposure you get in the Champions League proper gives players more confidence and boosts the profile of the club throughout Europe .
“So, for a lot of reasons, it would be great if Celtic can get through this stage.
“It will not be easy. The Israeli league is usually quite strong and Hapoel are the reigning champions.
“But if the Celtic players can show once again the quality they displayed against Motherwell, then I think they can get through.
“First they have the home game, and I think in that one Celtic must put the pressure on Hapoel.
“When you are at home, you have to attack. That is normal because you want to take the best score you can into the away tie.”
Now splitting his time between coaching a semi-professional side in his native Slovakia and helping his friend with an agency business, Moravcik has modified his earlier plans to become an Eastern European-based super scout for Celtic.
“No, it is too hard because I live in a country which is too far away from Glasgow,” he said with a smile.
“I do keep in touch with the club all the time, so if I see some young player in my country who is very good, then it would not be a problem for me to recommend him to Celtic.
“I have a very good relationship with chief executive Peter Lawwell, so I could easily give him the details. They have to be good enough, though.
“And although it is not close enough to come too often, it is possible to get a flight to Glasgow for special occasions.
“A Champions League group game against Barcelona or Real Madrid, for example, might be very tempting.”
Brendan Rodgers, his players and the Hoops support would concur!
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