Greg Taylor insists Celtic want to 'create own history'

You've played some top teams in your time at Celtic. Where does this game rank?

I think it will be right up there. We know it is one of the world's best teams so it is an exciting opportunity for us to go and get a positive result.

The Champions League group stage games are always really tough, how vital is it that the club start picking up points soon?

I spoke about this after the last game. It was disappointing in terms of the result because I think in the first two games we have actually performed well. It's about now taking it to the next step and matching that with results.

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Are these the nights where you hope that you can do it out there in front of 60,000 fans? Yes, it is tough opposition but in that environment is that what can really help in those games?

Exactly. At Celtic Park its such a unique atmosphere especially on a Champions League night and we aim to give what the fans give us and that is a result to match the performance.

What do you learn from Lazio and what do you need to improve on to make sure that result doesn't happen again?

I think it is just the small details. We have all spoken about this at great length and we know you get punished for slight mistakes and equally, we want to try and play our football. We want to get on the ball and create as many chances. It is at home and it will all be about doing those two things.

Seeing the scenes at the full-time whistle against Lazio that one must have really hurt. Is it about righting a few wrongs within the match?

To lose the game late on like that is always an awful feeling. We knew that night we had performed well enough to take a point. Of course, it is an entirely different opponent in this match but it is the same competition and we want to start getting the points on the board.

Is that a big factor that you don't want to look back on this campaign with nothing to show for it? You want to show that under this manager and with this squad you have made strides and you do not want to look back on it with six defeats or whatever you end up with?

Exactly. We are only two games in and I certainly hope that it is not going to be six defeats. We aim to try and put on a strong performance and we want to have European football after Christmas. That's the aim and it starts against Atletico.

Domestically the form is improving as the result at Tynecastle shows. Do you feel that you need to up your level from that level much in a game like this? Is that the level that will deliver the results?

I think we will need to up our levels in fairness. This is the greatest competition in football and you are playing against the best players and coming up against the best managers. You almost have to deliver a perfect performance to get the three points that we aim for. I think it will require an increase in level.

Results haven't come but the performances have been there. How have you been able to deal with the frustration that comes from not getting what you feel you deserve from these games?

All footballers will tell you at this club there is another game very quickly and you have to change your focus to that. Domestically we have been very strong and now we are back to the Champions League. We have done our preparation for the game and we feel that we are fully prepared to get the result we want.

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Can you give us an insight into the small details that you think you need to get right against Atletico?

It's all about when the chances come you have to take them. It is about trying to limit Atletico's chances. We are playing against world-class players. They will hurt you at times. It is about trying to control where they can hurt you. 

Not to labour the point but we saw last season how well Celtic competed in the Champions League but did not get the results. It is a similar story this time around. What convinces you that by playing this way and playing more football that the results will come?

You are spot on. Last season we performed well and had nothing to show for it. We don't want to be that type of team we want to be a team that has special nights here and creates our own history. I think we are not built to be a team like that. We are built to be a team that wants to be pressing up high and playing aggressive football. I think that is also what the club demands and it is not just the players and the staff. It's the way that a Celtic team should play. We work every day to try and play that way so to try and change that style for a one-off game I would not understand that.

When you were younger, you must have seen those huge European nights and watched them on the television. Is it frustrating for you - not that the magic’s gone from here - but it’s been difficult to recreate those famous nights here?

The atmosphere here on a Champions League night is not like many other stadiums in the world. We want to give the fans something that they can enjoy. As a squad of players, we want to create our own history. We did that domestically last season, but it’s now about trying to do it in Europe.

If you look at the team that started at Tynecastle, the vast majority of them were here last season and played in the Champions League. Do you feel different going into these games than maybe you did last season, maybe more comfortable given the level of football that you’re playing is what’s needed?

I think that experience definitely helps. For a lot of us, last year was our first experience of the Champions League, and we learned the hard lessons of that. In the first two games, our performances have been close but we’ve not had the full 90-minute performance, and we know that we need to do that sooner rather than later.

Does it feel - the last couple of games - in the Lazio game as well, that the way you played it is kind of coming together, the fluidity? Do you feel that on the pitch?

Yeah, we’ve also got new players this year. We’re growing as a team and as a squad. The boys that have come in are learning the system, and we’re gradually building. Hopefully towards something strong.

The performance at Tynecastle has been one the best of the season so far domestically. What was behind that? Is it players being back from injury giving confidence to the squad again? And does that give you a boost going into the fixture tomorrow?

Yeah, I think that’s a big part. We’ve had a lot of injuries at the start of the season which never helps, especially a new team. I think just as the games have gone on, we’re getting gradually stronger, we’re gelling better and playing the type of football that we want. Hopefully, that will be the theme of the season as it goes on.

People often talk about the step up at this level. As a player, what’s your experience of the differences, and do you feel like the team is getting better in terms of their ability to compete in this competition?

I think in terms of level, you definitely get punished for mistakes, you can’t make as many mistakes. The tempo of the game is quicker, domestically you can take two or three touches, but in Europe it has to be one or two touches. There are moments such as that but we’re also a team that wants to dominate the ball domestically and Europe, so that’s what we’re going to try and do throughout the European campaign.

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Now you’re under Brendan Rodgers rather than Ange Postecoglou. What do you think the main difference is coming into these games from the two managers?

I think we’re playing very similar styles with and without the football, it’s a high press in terms of we’re trying to get the ball back quickly, and when we have the ball we’re trying to hurt teams. I don’t think the styles are drastically different.  There’ll be small pointers that we’ll work on in training, but on the whole, there are not many big changes.

From the last few games we’ve seen goals scored that you can clearly see have been worked on in the training ground. Quick one-twos and midfielders running. Do you think this is important and vital with these games coming up - Kyogo’s goal was a quick one-two - do you think these are goals that can damage these teams?

I think at any level that’s the type of goals that can hurt teams. You move the ball quickly and get into the zones that we try to hit, I think that’s definitely how we can try and capitalise and score.