Source: Team_Talk
Hoops test worries Wouters
Utrecht assistant manager Jan Wouters fears his young team may freeze at Celtic Park in the first leg of their Europa League play-off.[LNB] Neil Lennon's side dropped out of the Champions League at the third qualifying stage with a 4-2 aggregate defeat by Braga at Parkhead on Wednesday night.[LNB]However, the stadium is sure to be packed when the Dutch side travel to Glasgow for the August 19 clash ahead of the return leg in Holland a week later.[LNB]Wouters, assistant at Rangers to Dick Advocaat and Alex McLeish, is well aware of the difficulties surrounding a trip to Celtic Park but insists he is "not playing mind games" by claiming his side's inexperience makes the Hoops firm favourites to go through to the group stages of the competition.[LNB]He said: "It will be very difficult for us. Celtic are favourites to go through.[LNB]"I am not playing mind games by saying that, I am being realistic.[LNB]"You look at their history in the Champions League and in Europe.[LNB]"Utrecht have no history in European football. We finished seventh last season and qualified through the play-offs.[LNB]"We are also a young and inexperienced team and that could be a problem for us because it can be really hard to play at Celtic Park.[LNB]"I don't know if we are that well known in Scotland and whether a lot of fans will come to see us but I expect there will be a big crowd and they could act as a 12th man for Celtic.[LNB]"Last year we brought in seven new players and they were all young players.[LNB]"Our players are aged between 19 and 24, we only have two experienced players so that could be a bit of a problem for us."[LNB]Wouters, however, insists Utrecht, who made the play-off round after beating Swiss side Luzern, will not be coming to Scotland to hold out for a draw.[LNB]"Defending is not our best quality and it's not in the culture of Dutch football," he said.[LNB]"So we will go forward when we can."[LNB]"It will be very nice to go back to Glasgow again," the former Bayern and Ajax midfielder added.[LNB]"I come back now and again to visit friends but there have been a lot of changes at Celtic since I left five years ago.[LNB]"I looked at the Celtic website and they have a lot of new players.[LNB]"But it was always good to go to Celtic Park with Rangers, the Old Firm games are big games and are a fantastic experience."
