O’Neill dismisses Battle of Britain hype

CELTIC manager Martin O’Neill is refusing to become swept up in any of the Battle of Britain hype surrounding his side’s UEFA Cup second-round clash with Blackburn.

The Irishman will be dealing with this game as with any other, though he is determined to steer the Hoops to victory.

He said: ‘‘If we win it won’t really prove anything regarding whether or not Scottish teams like Celtic and Rangers are good enough to play in the Premiership or not.

‘‘It won’t prove anything except this is a big competition and one we’d obviously like to get through, but I’m sure Blackburn are feeling exactly the same way.

‘‘They’ve got good players, they’ve spent a few bob down through the years, and they have done again recently. They are a very good side, without a doubt. They won the League Cup last season, they can play a bit and they have some very talented players.

‘‘I suppose people will immediately ask how we measure up against Premiership opposition and all that kind of thing, and it’ll be a difficult game for us. When I knew the six sides that we could be paired with I knew that it was an absolute certainty that we would get Blackburn!

‘‘It’s a very difficult tie for us, without a doubt, but it’s one that we can look forward to. The travelling isn’t immense and there’ll be a full house at Celtic Park, so it’s one to savour.’’

Meanwhile, Scotland assistant manager Tommy Burns reckons Barry Ferguson is so important to the nation’s cause he would risk playing him even if he were injured.

It looks likely that the Rangers’ captain will not be fully fit should he take to the field in Iceland on Saturday in the Scots’ second Euro 2004 qualifier of the new campaign.

Ferguson is struggling with a hip injury but Burns was none the less confident he would be on the field in Reykjavik and he said: ‘‘I’d risk him at 10%, I think players know that they are not always going to be 100%, that’s the price you pay for being a top player.

‘‘He would be a big loss but at this moment in time we are very confident he is going to make it.’’

It is possible that Ferguson would need a pain-killing injection to play with club manager Alex McLeish having left it up to the player, although the Scotland backroom staff are hopeful it will not be needed.

Burns added: ‘‘Rangers pay him an awful lot of money and he is their star player also but I am sure seven or eight years ago Barry would have been more than pleased to think he would be in this position.’’

Ferguson’s Ibrox team-mate Neil McCann has also been unable to train because of a hamstring injury but both, plus Middlesbrough’s Robbie Stockdale, are expected to begin sessions this evening.