AS Celtic continues to march towards a historic treble, Stan Petrov has warned of the fear that the rest of Scottish football has for the club.
Petrov, a Celtic legend after being signed by John Barnes and flourishing under Martin O’Neill, was being interviewed by the BBC when he was asked if there are any similarities between the Martin O’Neill team he played in compared to the Ange Postecoglou side he sees now.
The now pundit admitted that the teams were psychologically similar, and they receive the same fighting and high intensity message from the manager that the players of O’Neil’s team did.
He said: [BBC Scottish Football Podcast]
“Psychologically, yes. And it comes from the manager. It comes from the manager.
“We, as players, we follow the manager. We try to find the solution on the pitch but it’s what the manager brings every day.
“The training ground, out on the pitch on the field, off the field. And he has the same message. And the same message is, ‘We fight’, ‘We don’t stop’, we play high–intensity football.
“And the players just inherited good habits by fighting, by not giving up and making sure they stay in the game. Even when they don’t play well. Celtic down Rangers again as glorious Ange treble moves a step closer
“Psychologically, it’s very powerful thing. And we can see that at the moment. “The teams around Scotland fear Celtic. They fear Celtic because they know that they’ve got a strong group of players who are ready to fight and follow the manager.
“That’s what they have shown at this moment. They’re showing a great ability to fight and win games even when they don’t play well.”
Hopefully, another similarity soon will be that both teams have won a treble. O’Neil’s side did it in his first season in charge of the Hoops, with Ange Postecoglou setting his eyes on all three domestic trophies in his second.
With the League Cup already secured, and the league all but wrapped up, a final against Inverness could seal the Bhoys a treble.
