Callum McGregor sat down with Mark Benstead of Sky Sports to look back on the League campaign just past and has revealed there is even more to come from this Celtic team. McGregor was part of a side that just was in a total malaise before Ange Postecoglou arrived at the hallowed gates of Celtic Park, with the people at the top also negating their duties for a considerable time.
McGregor was made captain by Ange and it was clear he would need to be his own man after being the understudy to Scott Brown for several years in the green and white hoops. Having been part of and enjoyed an embarrassment of success at this club, Callum understood more than most how bitterly disappointed the supporters were with the 2020-21 season. It wasn’t so much as a fall from grace as it was an immediate and unforgiving spontaneous combustion from Celtic.
Speaking about going into last season after the debacle of the League term before, he said: “Everyone on the outside, probably, virtually gave us no chance. I think that’s the beauty of football – when you get a group of players are desperate and hungry to do well. And hurt as well from the season before.
“The only people that had to believe was in that building. That’s what the manager kept saying to us. That’s what the players kept speaking about. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is saying. We’re the guys that can go and make it happen and put in the performances and run for each other, and have each other’s back. Especially at a time when virtually everyone had wrote us off. So it was important we had a strong mentality within the group.”
When asked about whether or not he had doubts when Ange first came in, he revealed: “Yeah I think that’s the uncertainty with it all. It just puts doubt in everyone’s head at that point. Your just waiting on the next sort of piece of information your getting.
“Obviously we had the Euros as well. Your trying to really fully focus on that. Obviously then looking at the situation back here and seeing how it develops. The thing about Celtic, is you know, even after dissapontment, the club always bounces back. And I think we all knew that. Deep down we were waiting for information.
“But I think everyone at the club knew ‘we have to go strong, we have to send a clear message’. Then when we got the manager he was sort of relatively unknown at the time in terms of his work in Europe and what he was like. But the guys quickly spoke to Tom (Rogic) and found out all about him. A couple of conversations with Tom and everyone was put at ease, in terms of what the guy would bring. He’s been absolutely first class.
“Straight away you just got a great feeling off of him. He had that authority. He spoke well. He had a caring nature as well in terms of really wanting to help the players. He’s (Ange) said it numerous times that he would take responsibility for the style of play and the way he wanted the team to function. I think straight away the players grasped to that as well. They feel at ease with that as well.”
When asked if when he knew Ange was the Real McCoy, McGregor replied: “I think pretty much straight away. He said all the right things and, at a club like Celtic, to want to play fast, attacking football is music to everyone’s ears. That’s what the supporters want to see, that’s what the players want to play in.
“You saw very quickly his sessions were all very high tempo – touch, pass. He wanted the whole thing to be moving all the time. So, you could tell right away that was the type of football he wanted to play and it was just a case of building from there.”
Watch Callum’s interview with Sky Sports ahead of the new Ange Postecoglou documentary this Friday on Sky Sports Football at 6.30pm, detailing his first season in charge of the Bhoys…
🗣️”Everyone on the outside probably gave us virtually no chance, but I think that’s the beauty of football.”
Callum McGregor exclusively reflects on the title win, transformation under Ange Postecoglou & much more👇 pic.twitter.com/Dk3XzqknZU
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) June 16, 2022
Paul Gillespie
It’s Father’s Day this Sunday so why not order a copy of David Potter’s new book, Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style and we’ll get it posted straight away. You can order from Celtic Star Books – using the link below – or alternatively you can pick up a copy from any of the official Celtic Stores…
Alec McNair – Celtic’s Icicle by David Potter and both Invincible and Harry Hood Twice as Good by Matt Corr are also available from Celtic Star Books. Both of Matt’s book currently come with a free t-shirt featuring Tom Rogic or Harry Hood as part of our Father’s Day promotion.
