St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright last night warned Celtic that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola won’t be taking them lightly.
Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops might have crashed 7-0 to the Spaniard’s former club Barcelona in the Nou Camp but tonight’s Champions League rivals will have done their homework on the Scottish champions.
Wright’s team got the call to provide opposition for a closed-doors game in Manchester as newly-installed Guardiola fine-tuned his squad for the looming campaign.
And a 3-0 win set up table-topping City for a storming start on the home front and in Europe.
Guardiola’s free-scoring side have notched-up 10 straight wins, including a 2-1 derby victory over rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Wright said: “The City team we faced included all the big guns, including Sergio Aguero.
“I have since found out how much preparation Guardiola put in for that closed-doors game.
“It turns out he had us watched three times before we played them.
“That shows you the sort of homework he does on teams. He is just so methodical.
“If he did that for a closed-doors game designed to get his players fit be sure he will know everything about Celtic going into this game.
“He certainly won’t take them lightly because of the result in Spain. No chance.
“Pep will leave nothing to chance. But to be fair, any manager worth his salt would be doing the same.
“I gave my players information on how I thought City could play but given the quality they have at City it would have been easy to just let them turn up and play against us.
“Let’s be honest, it was a game they were always going to win. But Pep is the ultimate professional.”
Saints kept City at bay for 45 minutes before conceding goals to Fernandinho, David Silva and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Wright said: “We did quite well and it could have been 2-2 at half-time.
“We had a couple of one-on-ones with keeper Joe Hart. It was a great experience for our lads.
“It turns out to have been a decent result considering the way City have started the season in England and in Europe.
“It is always going to be difficult for Celtic in this sport of company but they are at home and with that crowd behind them this is their best opportunity to get a result.
“But City have got off to an incredible start. Guardiola has gone in there and made it clear to the players it his way or you are out.
“He has put his stamp on the team already and says there is a lot more to come. That is a worry for the Premier League teams and it is a worry for Celtic in the Champions League.
“Celtic have to try and stay in the game as long as possible, and compete with them for everything.
“Brendan does have real quality and you could argue they are way ahead of the clubs the’re playing week in week out in Scotland.
“But for Celtic I suppose coming up against City is comparable to us playing them. It’s that sort of challenge, an uphill task but certainly not an impossible one.
“And don’t underestimate the value of playing at home. The atmosphere at Celtic Park can lift the players and they have taken big scalps before.
“Celtic will be hurting after the Barcelona game but they will see the home matches as their best chance of getting a result.”
