Mowbray pins hopes on Robson return
A Co-operative Insurance Cup tie against Falkirk and a substitute appearance against Rapid Vienna in the Europa League was the sum total of the midfielder’s season before Mowbray handed him an SPL start against the Fir Park side.
The Parkhead fans moaned and groaned their way through an afternoon of missed chances but the former Dundee United midfielder, battling back to full fitness from a groin injury which had kept him out for seven months, escaped most of the flak before fatigue saw him substituted by Zheng Zhi with just over 20 minutes remaining.
“Barry did very, very well,” Mowbray said. “He needed game time and that’s why he played.”
Aside from watching Robson all but complete his rehabilitation, there must have been little else to encourage Mowbray.
With two wins in seven at Parkhead since taking over in the summer, he has made the poorest start to the season at home for a new Celtic manager since Jimmy McGrory in 1946.
The Hoops have lost at Celtic Park to Dynamo Moscow and Arsenal and have been held by Rapid Vienna, Dundee United and Motherwell.
Their only home wins have come against St Johnstone and Hearts but Mowbray, happy to thrust statistics forward as evidence that his side had enough chances to beat Motherwell comfortably, was less enamoured when the subject of his home record was broached.
He said: “I’m not interested in Arsenal in the Champions League or Dynamo Moscow.
“You can throw stats at me all you want but our league form is fine.”
Rangers defeated St Johnstone 2-1 on Saturday to move to the top of the table, but Sasa Papac believes only a vastly improved performance in tomorrow night’s Champions League meeting with Unirea Urziceni will give Rangers a chance of progressing to the last 16.
“If we want to get to the last 16, we must win this game,” he said. “We respect this team, we know they are a good team, but we know we need the three points to finish second in the group.’’
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