Jvh: We Did Have A Real Go At Them

Mar 9 2008 By Mark Guidi

JAN VENNEGOOR of Hesselink last night defended Celtic's tactics in Barcelona and insisted Gordon Strachan's team was set up to attack the Spaniards.

Many Hoops fans felt the 1-0 midweek defeat was a damage limitation exercise.

Strachan ditched his usual 4-4-2 system and opted to play just one striker in the Nou Camp despite his side needing to score two goals to pull off a shock win.

But Hesselink insists the formation was an attacking one but that Barcelona just didn't let Celtic achieve their game plan.

He said: "If you look at the system differently you can also saywe played with three strikers.

"Because they had the ball a lot it looks sometimes as though I was standing alone up front but we tried to play 4-3-3.

"We tried to get Scott Brown to come in from the right and Aiden McGeady from the left. In the first-half that happened a few times while in the second-half we played much better.

"Of course we're disappointed to lose but you have to take into account who we were playing.

"Let's be realistic - Barcelona are a very good team.

"If you look at it man-by-man you know there are a lot of better ones on their side but you take the experience into next year and see what happens then.

"This year was difficult because we lost at home. Last season at the same stage against ACMilan it was 0-0 and in extra timewe could have got to penalties but didn't get any luck."

"However we can live with going out to teams like that.

"Last year Milan won the trophy and now we are out I hope Barca do it so we can say we've been beaten by the winners twice in a row.

"I also like Barcelona and the way they play football."

The former PSV Eindhoven star's affection for the Catalan club goes back to the days when Johan Cruyff was at the Nou Camp as a player and manager.

The 29-year-old said: "There's a big Dutch connection with Barcelona. I always looked at it when I was young and Johan Neeskens and Frank Rijkaard have continued that.

"They're doing a great job and I hope they can win another European Cup.

"I had a chat with Neeskens when I came off. It's an honour to talk to these people as they were heroes for me. So it's nice to hear them compliment me on how I've played."