I WATCH AC Milan a lot and I think it is fair to say that this is them at their lowest ebb for about 25 years.

They have had a lot of successful eras and some great times but this is something new for their supporters and they are having a hard time dealing with the reality of the situation.

The results aren't coming, the performances are poor and the star names of yesteryear are no longer there either. It is a poor side compared to what they are accustomed to, with the players coming under a lot of criticism for not being up to Milan's standards.

The fans had a banner at the weekend that said 'From the golden years of the great Milan to the era of Zapata and Constant' and they are not happy with how things are going just now.

Despite that, it will still take Celtic's best performance of the group stage to beat them tonight. Even though they are struggling to get victories, there is still enough quality there and enough European know-how for them to get a result at Parkhead.

When you have people like Mario Balotelli, Riccardo Montolivo and Kaka in your side you can still be a match.

With Balotelli, you are never quite sure what he is going to do. I am not sure if he knows most of the time. He is such a natural player and always a potential match winner.

I think Alessandro Matri will play beside him and he caused Celtic all sorts of problems when he was with Juventus last season. He is a physical threat and I think he will get the nod because of his robust style, with Robinho on the bench.

Kaka is in the twilight of his career but he scored against Genoa at the weekend and still has top level football left in him. He is not at the peak of his powers but he is still a master craftsman who can undo any side.

I would like to see Derk Boerrigter, having scored his first Celtic goal in the weekend win over Aberdeen, let loose to have a go at Kevin Constant, the left-back and arguably their weak-link. I think that is an avenue for Celtic to explore because it is not a watertight Milan defence, although Ignazio Abate on the right is more solid.

Milan can be taken but Celtic will need to be at their absolute best. A half performance won't do. The spine of the team is so important to Celtic with Fraser Forster, Virgil van Dijk, Efe Ambrose and Charlie Mulgrew and it will be interesting to see where Georgios Samaras is utilised.

The fans can play their part too but I wouldn't expect Milan to be intimidated by the Parkhead atmosphere.

There is too much experience and football years in the side for that to bother them.

The 2-0 win for Milan in the first game flattered them and Celtic know that they threw away a really good chance that night. Milan will be fairly content with where they are in the group, though, having played Barcelona twice and for all their struggles in Serie A they are well placed in the section with two games to go.

But they have looked devoid of ideas recently and if Celtic are sharp then I think they will be on their way to European football after Christmas.