McNamara anticipating a League Cup classic

Published on Tuesday 22 September 2009 22:47

FALKIRK full-back Jackie McNamara believes both managers' commitment to attacking football will result in a Co-operative Insurance Cup thriller against Celtic tonight.

McNamara has always been impressed by Celtic manager Tony Mowbray's teams, while Eddie May has set his side up in an attacking formation with two wingers and two strikers.

Both managers are also looking for a cup boost at the Falkirk Stadium following disappointing European results.

"I think it will be an exciting game," McNamara said. "Both teams like to play football. Mogga (Mowbray] has done that throughout his career as a manager and I played against his West Brom team when I was at Wolverhampton. They have always been good games to play in."

May's attacking ethos has not been evident in Falkirk's most recent results – goalless draws against Aberdeen and Hamilton – but McNamara is confident the goals will come. Carl Finnigan saw a goal controversially ruled out against Hamilton on Saturday and McNamara feels they are on the right track.

"We have not scored goals but we have been creating chances and looked quite dangerous," the former Celtic captain said. "It's just that little fine line of getting the ball in the net. Against Hamilton we were a bit unfortunate not to win. With Carl's goal, I didn't think there was much in it. If we weren't creating chances or the guys weren't getting into the box and the ball wasn't coming in, then you would say it's not been working. But the way the guys are playing up front, the goals will come."

At 35, McNamara is the oldest player at Falkirk by some distance and is trying to impart his experience to his team-mates.

"It's always difficult when you're still playing, you have not crossed that fence to the coaching side of things," he said. "You just do your best when you're on the park to help them along as much as possible. I think that's part of the reason why he (May] has moved me back into defence, to help the defence and try to get them pushed up."

The Celtic squad has changed dramatically since McNamara left Parkhead but he knows all about the wingers he will face, with Aiden McGeady and Shaun Maloney now being supplemented by the emerging Niall McGinn.

"There's a few boys that are still there from when I was there, but they were young kids," he said. "There's Shaun, there's Aiden and I've seen a little bit of the young lad McGinn, who looks a good prospect. Celtic have always been renowned for having wingers and guys to create things and they have certainly got that now."