Celtic's away-day blues

By Thomas McGuigan

Celtic face Manchester United on Champions League duty at Old Trafford on Tuesday, hoping that an appearance at the "Theatre of Dreams" can end their away day nightmare.

Statistics rarely lie, and Celtic's travel sickness in the Champions League makes grim reading - played 16, lost 15 and drawn one.

The only chink of light in a dark history on the road in Europe came in a 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the Nou Camp in November 2004.

John Hartson's equaliser gave the then Celtic manager Martin O'Neill his solitary away point in the Champions League.

Since that game, however, the Glasgow club have failed to break a losing streak that now haunts Gordon Strachan, the current manager, although he rightly says the current crop of players should not shoulder the burden of previous campaigns.

Celtic's home record in the group stages of the Champions League, meanwhile, is almost as impressive as their away record is abject.

At Celtic Park, Celtic have won 13 of their 16 games, losing one - 3-1 to Barcelona - and drawn two.

So what is the problem away from home?

Many observers suggest that the lack of stiff competition in the SPL means that Celtic are often caught cold by more illustrious European opponents.

Celtic have won many Champions League games at home in the dying moments, urged on by passionate home support.

Scott McDonald is set to lead Celtic's attack at Old Trafford

But on their travels, despite a massive following urging them on to break their duck, too often games are lost in a blizzard of first-half goals amid calamitous defending.

Strachan favours a 4-4-2 formation, with captain Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell his preferred central defensive partnership.

Lee Naylor is a permanent fixture at left-back, while Mark Wilson and German international Andreas Hinkel vie for the right-back spot.

Some Celtic fans have clamoured for Paul Caddis to be played at right-back, but his manager has said publicly he does not want to pressure the inexperienced 20-year-old.

In a nutshell, Celtic's problems away from home in Europe have stemmed from an inability to keep possession.

Against Villarreal, full-backs Naylor and Wilson got into a number of promising positions, but time and again their cross would hit the first defender or their pass would find a yellow shirt.

As Patrice Evra has shown for Manchester United and Bacary Sagna at Arsenal, the potency of a full-back who is comfortable bombing forward cannot be under-estimated.

Neither Naylor or Wilson, despite their admirable application and effort, are able to consistently take the ball forward and hit the by-line before sending in crosses for their forwards to attack.

They pass the ball back to defenders or central midfielders and stop running.

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Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who scored a barrowload of headed goals for PSV Eindhoven, has scored comparatively few headers in Celtic colours from decent crosses.

The reason? The full-backs and wide midfielders are unable to deliver from the flanks.

In recent seasons, Celtic's away trips in the Champions League have made difficult viewing. Shakhtar Donetsk, Rosenborg, Anderlecht et al have all feasted enthusiastically on green and white defensive collapses.

Strachan has tried to find a way of sending out a Celtic side which is hard to break down, but also has width and can muster a menacing counter-attack.

His 4-5-1 formation, with Georgios Samaras as the lone frontman, almost yielded success in Spain.

The Greek international missed a glorious chance on the stroke of half-time and Marco Senna's free-kick gave Villarreal maximum points.

Celtic's 4-4-2

Nevertheless, the result and much of the performance represented slow but steady progress.

A lack of width in the SPL continues to plague the league champions and, in Europe, it is given sharper contrast.

Aiden McGeady and Shaun Maloney have been tasked with providing the width and trickery from which others in the side can profit.

The problem is that, without full-backs charging forward to provide support, too often they find two men blocking their way to goal and attacks peter out.

Shunsuke Nakamura, Scott Brown and Paul Hartley or Barry Robson need to keep possession whilst looking to play that incisive ball into the box.

Opposition defences gobble up those hopeful, long balls from Caldwell and McManus.

But the intriguing thing for Strachan, ahead of the game against United, is that he does not have a big target man to play as the lone frontman.

Vennegoor of Hesselink is out, as is leading goalscorer Samaras, and Scott McDonald, the club's top scorer last term, has yet to rediscover his Midas touch.

But with reserve Chris Killen also sidelined, and Strachan indicating he will not play Cillian Sheridan, McDonald is Celtic's only recognised front man.

The SPL champions have one point from two matches in Group E - three behind United and Villarreal. Points on the road will be needed to at least secure a Uefa Cup spot.

Realistically, Celtic will not end their losing run away from home when they take on United.

But it will be interesting to note whether Strachan sticks to the unsuccessful 4-4-2, or opts for the 4-5-1 formation, in the knowledge that a trip to Denmark to face Aalborg, later in the group, offers the best chance to banish those ubiquitous away day blues.