Celtic must learn from my Bratislava pain with only one path to swerving instant Champions League downer – Chris Sutton

Chris Sutton in action for Celtic against Artmedia
-Credit: (Image: SNS)


My painful encounter with Bratislava brought me a smashed face and an earful from the Celtic fans.

It also began the end of my career at the club. This time around it’s Bratislava who could be smashed to spark cheers from the supporters. And it could be the start of an exciting spell of big progression for the club in Europe. Listen, first thing is first. Brendan Rodgers and his players have a job to do against Hearts today.

Making sure the domestic bandwagon starts rolling again immediately after the international break is crucial. Celtic were terrific in the opening block. Hearts, on the other hand, were pretty woeful. But Rodgers and his team got a taste of what Steven Naismith’s men can do on two separate occasions last season and the desperation of the visitors for a result to get their own campaign going is going to make them highly-dangerous opposition in Glasgow’s East End.

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Celtic have to make sure there are no slips and take themselves onto the European stage with a real spring in their step. I have to say, I find nothing joyous in the mention of Bratislava.

That 2005 night in Slovakia when we were thrashed 5-0 by Artmedia was a painful one in so many ways. It was 0-0 when I slid in to block a long-range shot.

As I was getting up from the turf, Neil Lennon was running past and smashed his knee into my face. Carted off the hospital, it was confirmed I had suffered a quadruple-fracture of the cheek. Discharged from hospital, I went back to the ground feeling sore, yet not as sore as when I discovered we’d lost five goals.

Leaving the stadium, the boys were getting hounded by angry fans. I thought: I might escape this as my face is in bits and, anyway, it was 0-0 when I went off! Not a bit of it. I got it as bad as everyone else and that was not a pleasant journey home.

Funnily enough, we almost saved it in the return leg winning 4-0 at home, but there was no saving my Celtic career. I was out for a while and then nicked my hamstring when I was coming back.

I’d a one year extension with the terms all agreed if the club wanted me to stay. They wanted me to stay but wanted to change the terms. That wasn’t on.

Either I was good enough to be part of the squad or just let me go with no hard feelings. Gordon Strachan and myself weren’t seeing eye-to-eye and I was gone by Christmas.

If that all wasn’t bad enough, Lenny was moaning a couple of months later about having a sore knee and complaining it was my face that inflicted the damage! I trace my Celtic end all back to that night in Bratislava and I just hope the current squad secure better memories from their upcoming encounter against Slovan.

Last week, I said in the column the game is triumph or disaster and I stick by that. No-one needs to tell Celtic there are no easy games in Europe. Their dismal recent record tells you how tough they find it.

But what an opportunity. I’ve gone through all the teams and matches and, honestly, of the 35 possible opponents, Slovan Bratislava at home is the tie you would have cherry picked for an opener.

Of course, that can go two ways. Get off to a flyer and you are in business. Don’t take advantage and straight away it’s a downer.

But Celtic have to be positive. Defeat Hearts, then step forward onto that major stage and perform. Judging by the way the campaign has started, you’d have to back them over the two matches.

In fairness, Celtic probably didn’t want the international break to arrive given they had just handed out a frightful beating to Rangers prior to the stoppage. But, as you assess the players within the squad and see what has happened with them, I’d suggest it’s been a handy enough period.

For a start, the fact captain Callum McGregor got to give his body and mind a rest for the guts of two weeks is ideal. Despite the alterations and rotations in the weeks ahead, you’d imagine he’s the one guy Rodgers wants there in every minute.

As for the rest, I saw boys who were needing minutes to get up to speed get just that and I saw others who had featured heavily in the opening five matches of the campaign get a rest, wanted or not. Adam Idah, Anthony Ralston and Luis Palma all managed a couple of outings to get much-needed time into the legs,

On the flip side, Daizen Maeda barely played. Paulo Bernardo had just one game. As for Liam Scales and Reo Hatate, they didn’t get a kick for their nations.

I have to say, that’s a sore one for Hatate, especially. Japan has a terrific team, but to not even make the bench for two matches is tough. Greg Taylor and James Forrest didn’t feature with Scotland after pulling out of the squad.

Alistair Johnston feeling his hamstring was the downside and Auston Trusty might have enjoyed a chance, but, in the main, you’d have to think it worked out pretty well for Rodgers.

Now it’s back to business and the doors are open for them to step through. Take care of Naismith’s dangerous side and settle yourself into a chair at Europe’s top table.

Once you get sat down, tuck in. Make the most of the opportunity. Deliver a massive victory and make sure future mentions of the word Bratislava don’t bring a shudder to the spine as it does for me.