ARTUR'S OUT THE WOODS; Coach says No.1 is back on ball.

Byline: Chris Roberts 

POLAND v N IRELAND

Today, Slaski Stadium, 7.30pm

ARTUR BORUC slumped to an all-time low in Belfast this year - but Stevie Woods believes the Celtic and Poland keeper will soon haul himself back on top of the world.

As the Poles prepare to face Northern Ireland in a crucial World Cup qualifier today, the Parkhead No.1 will be reliving his nightmare atWindsor Park in March.

Boruc, who had been subjected to death threats on the eve of the game, made two howlers that handed the hosts a shock victory and brought their support great satisfaction.

That night in Belfast was a culmination of troubles for the former Legia Warsaw man whose private life shot into the public eye - already watering over his antics on the field.

With March's qualifier fast approaching, Boruc messed up against arch-rivals Rangers and was beaten by John Rankin's "squiggler" at Easter Road.

Then the inevitable flared up across the Irish Sea - just days after he was caught with his girlfriend in the Polish team hotel - and everyone wondered what had gone wrong with the man who had been attracting interest from the biggest clubs in Europe.

Poland boss Leo Beenhakker dropped him and his gaffer in Glasgow, Gordon Strachan, didn't even have an explanation.

But one man inside Celtic Park never doubted Boruc would rise again once he had got himself right, psychologically - the club's goalkeeping coachWoods, below.

Tough

He said: "The mental side of being a keeper is vital. If you can't get your head right in any job it's tough and goalkeeping is no different.

"From that point of view he seems to have tidied up his game. He seems really happy coming into training and that's the environment everyone wants to work in."

Given all his troubles, Boruc must have feared he was in danger of throwing everything away. But then one day he chose to stay longer at Lennoxtown.

He decided to knuckle down to become one of the finest goalkeepers in the world - an achievement Woods is convinced he will soon realise. He said: "Artur is working his socks off and deserves to do well.

"He's putting in a lot of hours on the training ground and seems to have got his head clear. On all fronts he's a lot happier than he maybe was. All the credit has to go to him because he's the guy coming into the club every day and doing extra training.

"He's reaping the rewards. Everything we've asked him to do he's done without a problem. He's jumped through hoops for us and deserves all the praise that comes his way.

"He's got absolutely everything in his locker to be a top, top keeper. I knew that, to be fair, before I got the job.

"On a consistent, day-today basis he's producing so I really haven't had any complaints. It's been a pleasure working with the big guy.

"There have been no surprises. Everyone knew a couple of years ago he was one of the top four keepers in the world so hopefully we can get him back there and keep him there."

Not many people, even at Celtic Park, get close enough to Boruc to know how they could help him.

And former Motherwell man Woods takes no credit for the way in which the Hoops No.1 has dragged himself back from the depths of despair.

But he believes the arrival of fellow Pole Lukasz Zaluska from Dundee United this summer is a key reason for the dramatic turnaround.

Woods said: "There is a challenge there from Luskasz and it actually seems to have made him happy.

"The competition is good for him and also the camaraderie. Having another Pole at the club has helped. It has been a big factor."

Woods reckons Boruc quickly realised that if he lost the gloves to Zaluska in Scotland the same would happen at international leveland such a scenario could result in the player losing his first-choice berth at next summer's World Cup finals in South Africa.

He said: "Lukasz is his best friend and if he loses the position to him at Celtic then he also loses his position to him for the Poland national side. That would be a double whammy for him.

Slaughtering

"When training gets tough they urge each other on and speak away in Polish - slaughtering me because they know I can't understand a word of it."

But it's not just Zaluska whom Boruc has to keep a close watch on because another young man has emerged as a possible contender for the No.1 spot in Tony Mowbray's side.

American kid Dom Cervi caught the eye with a memorable display during their 3-1 friendly defeat to Benfica in Toronto on Wednesday night.

The former US College kid looked assured in everything until he was guilty of messing up to gift the Portuguese side a goal.

But Boruc has proved that even the best make mistakes and Woods is backing the 21-year-old keeper to bounce back.

He said: "Dom was obviously disappointed with the third goal but that's indicative of the fact he's not had many games this year.

"He had his passport problems last season but that's been sorted out now so hopefully we'll be able to get him some games.

"He's a big guy crying out for matches somewhere, so I think we're going to try to sort something out for him.

"Dom played well against Benfica with that one mistake at the end the only real thing he let himself down on.

"But that's an inconsistency which comes when you've not been playing. He's only played two-and-a-half games during the preseason simply because we have fantastic goalkeepers ahead of him.

"We feel he needs matches before he can think about moving up the pecking order.

"I'll speak to the manager and see what we can sort out because if he doesn't go out on loan he'll be sitting there and may only play two or three friendlies this year.

"It would be more beneficial to look at getting him a short-term move."

Then he could really give Boruc something else to think about.

CAPTION(S):

HOWLER: Artur Boruc's international blunder in Belfast, above, and, main pic, in action for Celtic