SCOTT BROWN insists Celtic’s days of being Champions League bottlers are in the past.
The Parkhead powerhouse is convinced the Hoops will make no mistake in the third round qualifier against Rosenborg in Trondheim tomorrow night that is balanced at 0-0 after last week’s first game in Glasgow.
Brendan Rodgers’ men face an evening of extreme scrutiny and in days gone by they have collapsed under the monumental strain.
Skipper Brown has endured nightmare evenings in places such as Braga, Warsaw and Malmo, which led to exits from Europe’s premier competition, but is adamant Rodgers has changed the mentality of the team on their travels.
The team underlined that with draws in Manchester and Monchengladbach in the group stages of Europe’s elite competition last time out.
Brown said defiantly: “It is a totally different team from any I have played in.
“We have the belief that we can go anywhere and score goals, even when we are playing against some of the top teams in the world.
“We played against Manchester City away last season, pressed them up the park and made them make mistakes.
“It is totally different from the old Celtic where we used to sit back and get 12 per cent of the ball against Barcelona, although we won that game 2-1.
“It is a different manager with a different philosophy and he believes we have enough energy that we can press teams and create chances. We have good players, as well.
“Even the fans believe we can go through whether we are at home or away.
“That’s brought in from the manager and his backroom staff. That has been battered into us, to relax when you are away from home.
“That’s what we thrive off now. When people are booing you and shouting, you need to be composed and keep the ball.
“The longer we keep the ball, the more anxious their players will get and, hopefully, the more spaces we can find.
“Before, people would maybe press us and we’d just look for big Georgios Samaras up the park and play off him. It’s different now, we don’t have that 6ft 5in centre-forward so we need to keep possession.
“The manager’s teams have always done that and it’s working well for us. We’re very structured.
“The gaffer has installed that and we’ve worked so much harder than other teams probably do. We have that fitness and it comes from belief, as well.
“The pressure is on both teams. We have 90 minutes so we need to make sure we control the game. If it’s in the last 10 or five minutes, we need to make sure we’re in control.
”We want to get into the Champions League. This is the big one, this is a cash windfall for the club, as well, and this pushes us on to the next level again.
“If we can get into it two years in a row, it’s great for the club and great for the players’ confidence.
“This club deserve it and now we need to go and get it for them.”
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