Source: Daily_Mail
Bhoys can bully Wenger purists, insists upbeat Caldwell ahead of crunch clash
Gary Caldwell is confident Celtic can expose Arsenal's soft centre in the Champions League play-off decider at the Emirates on Wednesday night.
Arsene Wenger's superstars cried foul over a series of tackles by Tony Mowbray's men at Parkhead last week - despite leaving with a 2-0 first-leg lead.
Wenger complained about it again yesterday and Caldwell is looking to get in Arsenal faces and see their reaction. 'I was surprised to hear some of the comments coming from their camp after the first leg about our "physical" challenges,' he said.
'Tackles go on in football. It's part of the game and I don't think any challenge was malicious on the night. Obviously, you might get caught but, as a footballer, I would take it as a compliment if somebody was kicking me. I don't think we are an over-physical team but, if it rattled them, it's something we can use again in this game.
'The first half-hour of the first leg had nothing in it and, if we had got a deflected free-kick goal on the night, then who knows what would have happened?
'Yes, they've got great quality and were probably the better side, but there wasn't anything in the game. At no point were we over-run or under a lot of pressure defensively.'
Gary Caldwell
Galling loss: Gary Caldwell and team mates react at the final whistle after the first leg beating at Parkhead
Celtic desperately need to score the first goal on Wednesday night to sow some seeds of doubt in the home side and Caldwell i s dreaming of such a scenario. He added: 'If they go 3-0 up in the tie, the momentum would be with them. Their tails would be up and their passing game would come to the fore.
'But, if we get it, we will find out which Arsenal players want to stand up to be counted and want to take the ball when they are under pressure.
'The crowd might not be so behind them and we have to ask that question of them.
'Obviously, they might come up with the answers but, if we ask the questions, we have done our job. It could be a great night.'
Mowbray's admiration for Wenger extended to watching the Gunners in Europe while a coach at Ipswich, so he neatly sidestepped any slanging match. 'I didn't set my team up to go and kick people,' he said of the first leg. 'It's a credit to our players that they competed well on the night.
'We do it against every team. From day one, we have tried to play a high-pressure game. We try to press the opposition and play high up the pitch.'
Mowbray takes heart from Owen Coyle's Burnley beating Manchester United last week. 'Burnley are not the only team to beat a bigger side, but it highlights our approach,' he said.
'I'd suggest Burnley will finish 30 or 40 points behind United this year but, on any given day, you can beat them.
'We go into this believing we can beat Arsenal, otherwise why bother turning up? If we played them 40 times, they would win several of them - but we would win a few, too.
'If we can get the third goal in this tie, then i t becomes a proper game, I'd suggest. That's the theatre of football. We have to get the balance of not being cavalier, because Arsenal can cut any team to shreds, and at the same time threaten their goal.'
Wenger has lost Cesc Fabregas to injury but opposition changes are immaterial, said Mowbray, who himself has Landr y N'Guemo suspended.
'What difference does it make -Fabregas or Denilson? Diaby or Song? Van Persie or Bendtner? They have players to come in who are more than worthy of Arsenal so, for me, it doesn't really matter.'
