MANY AND various reasons have been posited for Celtic throwing away a seven-point lead in last year's championship. Until the club's AGM on Friday, however, none of these had referenced Lukasz Zaluska.
That changed the other day when a supporter was given his opportunity to question the board and elected to hector them about the failure to clinch four-in-a-row. Why wasn't money paid to Dundee United to see Zaluska join in January when Artur Boruc
was "getting fat" and "his head was all over the place", he narked.
A comment like that might be the sort to give the gangly 6ft 4in Zaluska a fat neck. Since joining in the summer after signing a pre-contract agreement at the turn of the year, the goalkeeper's active contribution to Celtic has been a mere four competitive outings. The most notable of these was Wednesday's Co-operative Insurance Cup loss during which Zaluska was beaten by a poorly-struck penalty. No-one would ever have talked in such terms of previous Celtic back-up keeper Mark Brown. Zaluska is different. Because, as regards Boruc, he is more of the same. A fact unrelated to the duo's shared Polish nationality and room sharing when they were at Legia Warsaw together in the 2002-03 season.
Zaluska, following 18 months of consistent excellence at Tannadice, inspires confidence. The reaction to Boruc last week undergoing a knee operation that could sideline him for three weeks told of that. It wasn't treated as a big deal. Perhaps because there is a feeling this time around that Boruc's loss might not be as acutely felt. Even when once-capped Zaluska is a relatively inexperienced 27-year-old. In all, he has racked up fewer than 100 senior appearances across his nine previous clubs. And none of these games have been in European competition. That will change on Thursday in Hamburg as Celtic attempt to produce an unlikely win so that their remaining two Europa League matches are not dead rubbers.
Zaluska knows it is both a last chance for Celtic and a big chance for him. Yet, he adopts an easy-osy, slightly mischievous air to taking his bow at such a daunting ground. Which is precisely why he appears to possess the personality, on-field poise and presence to make him in the mould of Boruc. Or possibly mould-breaker. Zaluska could well be the man who will cause the club to redouble efforts to cash-in on their £5m-rated controversy magnet of a keeper to finance Tony Mowbray's required squad overhaul. But only, of course, if he proves himself.
"I think it will be a great game," he says. "It's a big moment for me, my first game in Europe, but I think the better atmosphere is Celtic Park. I don't think the atmosphere in Hamburg will be anything special. I expected a better team when Hamburg came. They're one of the top teams in the Bundesliga, but managed only two shots at Celtic Park. Hamburg are a good team, but not good like Barcelona or Milan. They have a few good players, but no big stars. If we score the first goal in Hamburg, anything is possible. Ze Roberto is the most important player for this team. They're still the best team in the Bundesliga so we have to have respect for this team."
Only now has Zaulska started to feel "a real part" of the Celtic team. "The last two years I've played almost every game," he explains. "For every goalkeeper it's very difficult being a No.2"
Zaluska speaks with the candour of Boruc and has managed to attract unwanted attention to himself just like the friend he says showed him "everything" about his new club, before he adds with a grin: "But I'm a big guy, I don't need help every day."
In September, it was reported that Zaluska had been charged for speeding. But doing 41mph in the 30mph zone outside Edinburgh Zoo is hardly up there with earning an international suspension for breaking a curfew to go on the lash before "trashing" a hotel room. Zaluska came a bit closer to a Boruc-style stooshie when he was fined £500 and warned about his future conduct after gesturing to Aberdeen fans during the clubs' CIS Cup quarter-final of February 2008. In his defence, though, he had been hit with coins. He certainly indulges in chat that has the touch of Boruc, however, when the subject turns to the Michael Stewart's spot-kick that seemed to go under his body in midweek. "It was a shit penalty, I know, but its difficult for a goalkeeper if you expect a shot nearer the post," Zaluska explains. "My whole body was at full stretch. It was that shit it was more difficult. I was surprised it was so close to me and I was so disappointed. I expected a better shot.
"In the game before that against Hamilton I saved the ball (from James McArthur] in the last minute, but the penalty was another good chance to help the team. Those penalties, though, are always 50-50."
It seems 50-50 is the best odds most would these days give on Celtic winning any game as they suffer a crisis of conviction. The public pasting they receive for slip-ups has been Zaluska's awakening to a football life far removed from that he knew at Tannadice. "The criticism is the big difference between Dundee United and Celtic," he says. "After pre-season, when almost every game we played well, we started with wins over the likes of Aberdeen and St Johnstone and played really well in those matches. Now it is a difficult moment for us, but if you don't play well and are still top, you wonder what will happen when we are good."
What will happen in terms of Zaluska's playing status once Boruc is fit again is, he says, "a question for Tony Mowbray, not for me". But he maintains it isn't "strange" at all to be in competition with a friend. "I knew Artur was here and what the situation would be. It's maybe not difficult because before every game I try to help him and he tries to help me. It's a good relationship we have."
Relations, meanwhile, would appear to be problematic with the Celtic keepers and the Polish national set-up. Following Leo Beenhakker's departure, neither were selected by caretaker Stefan Majewski for last month's final Euro 2008 qualifiers. Franciszek Smuda was this week announced as permanent successor to Beenhakker and he too has overlooked Zaluska and Boruc for the friendlies against Romania and Canada in a fortnight. "I was surprised to be left out because I've been in every squad for the past year, but I was more surprised about Artur because he's the one keeper playing for a big club. (Tomasz] Kuszczak, (Lukasz] Fabianski, (Jerzy] Dudek and me are sitting on the bench. Artur is the only one playing every week." Or has been, Zaluska might want to correct.
