CELTIC legend Davie Hay reckons Brendan Rodgers’ team can be compared with Jock Stein’s European Cup winners.
The former Hoops player and manager insists the current line-up are close to being as fit and fast as the team that conquered all in season 1966/67 when they won everything that was possible.
In another CQN EXCLUSIVE series, the club great, now 76, speaks to Alex Gordon, who co-authored the legend’s best-selling autobiography, ‘The Quiet Assassin‘, as he reveals all.
Hay said: “Brendan Rodgers’ men have deservedly won a load of accolades for their form in the run-in to last season and for the way they have come out the traps this time around.
ALONE WITH HIS THOUGHTS…Brendan Rodgers at Lennoxtown.
“They are almost unrecognisable from the team that lost back-to-back league games against Kilmarnock and Hearts before the turn of the year.
“I understand the manager had a talk-in with his squad to emphasise what it means to wear those green and white hoops.
“I am not privy to what the manager said to his players, but it certainly had the desired effect.
“The arrival of Adam Idah on loan from Norwich City was welcome, too, with Kyogo Furuhashi, perhaps understandably, falling to match his astonishing consistency that had seen him strike over 50 goals in his first two years at the club.
“The title, the club’s third successive crown, was duly delivered and the curtain came down on an eventful season with the Scottish Cup Final win over Rangers.
“My old club were not at their best that afternoon at Hampden, but they showed they could grind out an acceptable result. It’s not all about flair and eye-catching intricate patterns in this game.
HAMPDEN MATCHWINNER…Adam Idah slams the decisive goal beyond Jack Butland in the Scottish Cup Final last season.
“I was impressed with the way the players stuck to their task against opponents who worked extremely hard to nullify their rivals’ threat in the middle of the park.
“In the end, Idah provided the answer with the winner and, for me, the better team picked up the silverware. I read and heard some folk who should know better saying the Ibrox club had edged Celtic in the performance stakes.
“They must have been watching a different game from me.
“Maybe Big Adam did Rangers a favour by ending the game in 90 minutes because I reckon this Celtic side is as fit as any I have seen in my time.
“I watched from the Parkhead stand as they blew away Slovan Bratislava to get the Champions League campaign off to the perfect start.
“The pace they maintained throughout the 5-1 triumph was simply outstanding. I have often said the fastest Celtic team I have ever witnessed was Jock Stein’s eleven who won the European Cup in Lisbon in May 1967.
“There was a lot of two-touch football that evening against Inter Milan. No-one dwelled on the ball, not even my wee pal Jimmy Johnstone who put in a totally unselfish shift in the Portuguese capital.
THE FAST SHOW…Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates with the Celtic fans after scoring the second goal in the champions’ 3-0 derby victory at Parkhead at the start of September.
“Big Jock had some pretty fast players in that line-up with Bobby Lennox and Stevie Chalmers real speed merchants.
“Now I look at Brendan’s team and I see three guys up front blessed with blistering pace in Nicolas Kuhn, Kyogo and Daizen Maeda.
“No defender in the world could ever look forward to facing these guys.
“They shredded Slovan last week and Big Adam played his part when he came on for Kyogo. To me, the Republic of Ireland international looks a bit leaner than he did when he first arrived in January.
“His movement across the front line appears to have improved, too.
“So, there is a lot to admire in this current Celtic team. I believe they will actually get better as the season wears on.
“That’s the good news for the team’s fans who could be involved a few celebrations between now and the last kick of the ball.”
*TOMORROW: Don’t miss Day Three of club legend Davie Hay’s EXCLUSIVE look at Celtic – only in your champion CQN.
