It doesn’t really matter to our Celtic players whether the goal that they need is scored early in the match or with three minutes left on the clock, there remains sufficient belief to get the job done. Perhaps the best example of that was Anthony Ralston’s crucial 97th minute up at Dingwall last December – bet you’re all glad we’re not heading up there this week (lol).
Yesterday Carl Starfelt spoke to the mainstream media ahead of tomorrow’s Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park against Livingston, who have proved to be a difficult opponent at Paradise in recent times and were also unlucky to only get a point on their most recent visit to Ibrox.
The Swedish international defender, who was outstanding at Pittodrie at the weekend playing alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers, reckons that this Celtic squad never lose their belief that they can get that decisive goal to win the points and will go on trying all the way to the final whistle if required, as per Dingwall last December.
“Exactly! It is good. It is better that you have that feeling and you never lose the belief,” Starfelt said, as reported by Daily Record. “I wouldn’t say we are relying on late goals. We usually try to go at it from the first minute. Sometimes you get the goals in the first minute and sometimes in the last but I look at it as a strength that we are able to come up with late goals.
“We just need to keep playing our game all the time no matter the result and make sure we are not changing our game plan late in the game. You keep your composure and have the belief that you can score. The team is clear on how we play. We just know this is how we want to play and this is how we want to win and no matter what minute it is we will keep doing it.”
In matches like the one at Pittodrie at the weekend there’s less defensive duties to be taken care of and more focus on helping to create by building the play, but for Starfelt he is well aware that can change in a second and for instance an Aberdeen goal on Saturday would have been a real ‘sucker punch’ – the exact words that Jim Goodwin used to describe Celtic’s 32nd effort of the match hitting the back of the net.
“In one way it was maybe a quiet game. But in another way there were a lot of duels. It was just that most of them were in their half of the pitch,” Starfelt reflected. “We were given space to move the ball forward really quickly. But I feel we still had to do a job defensively. So I wouldn’t say it was easier than any other game. We had to keep them pinned in and keep our focus so they didn’t have any easy ways out. We did that really well and kept our concentration throughout the game.”
On Aberdeen’s rather surprising negative tactics on their home turf, Starfelt wasn’t too interested in making much of that but was happy to get the win. “To be fair, I think every team can play how they like. I don’t read too much into it. It is just how we react to facing different tactics and different oppositions and it is not the first time we have faced a team who maybe puts a defensive team out against us. But I felt like we handled it well and we kept our composure so I was happy.
“It was a big win, of course. Also, after a break it is always good to get a good result in the first game back and start to get some momentum. It was a big win and we are almost getting used to scoring late winners now so it is good. It was a really good goal and an important moment for Callum McGregor and for the team. It was fun to see and good that he got the goal as well since he has been out and working hard to get back.”
With a busy schedule of matches per the festive period starting tomorrow – after the Livingston game, Celtic welcome St Johnstone to Celtic Park on Christmas Eve, before taking on Hibs at Easter Road on Wednesday 28 December then it’s the Glasgow Derby at Ibrox on 2 January.
“A normal Christmas would be celebrating in Sweden with food and my family. It is a sacrifice we have to make but also we get to do what we love so there is no complaining at all,” Starfelt said. “There are a lot of games to be played. We just want to keep winning our games. That is our only focus. Like we did last season we just have to take it game by game and try to get momentum. We just need to keep winning like we have done all season,” The Celtic defender added.
The games are of course just a little sweeter for Starfelt now that he’s overcome a couple of injuries since the summer to get back to full fitness. “It was the longest time I’ve been out injured, almost five months, so it’s been great to come back. Before the break I still hadn’t done too much training. But I have really got back in shape.”
And here’s every word Carl Starfelt said at yesterday’s Media Conference ahead of tomorrow night’s match against Livingston at Celtic Park.
On playing with Callum McGregor and Cameron Carter-Vickers as a unit that is on a long unbeaten run playing together…Carl Starfelt: “McGregor is a great player and our captain. He is a really big player for us but it’s more about the team. We have lost players throughout the season with injuries and we seem to manage anyway. He is obviously a big player for us and also a leader on the pitch.”
Thoughts on watching Josip Juranovic do so well at the World Cup?… Carl Starfelt: “It has been really good. It was great to see all the Celtic players end up in the knockout stages and see Croatia get third place which is obviously a huge thing. I am really happy for him and I watched lots of games that included Celtic players and they all did really well.
Whether he was surprised at how well Josip Juranovic did at the World Cup…Carl Starfelt: “No. He is a really good player and we all knew he could play really well. He has been a really good player for us and the Croatian national team.”
On being worried that JJ could leave after performing so well in Qatar…Carl Starfelt: “I have no idea. That would be me speculating and I do not want to do that. I am focused on what is in front of us and that is all I am thinking about.
On getting a look at the two new signings in training…Carl Starfelt: “Yes. They are really good guys and positive characters. I think they come in with good energy and will contribute to the team. They look really good players from what I have seen so far. So it is all positive.”
On Celtic pushing onto a new level going forward…Carl Starfelt: “That is our goal. We always want to get better and not stay in the same place. We did good in the league in the first part of the season but our goal is always to evolve as a team. I hope we can keep doing that.”
On being out of Europe, helping Celtic domestically…Carl Starfelt: “I am not sure. I did not feel we lost focus in the league when we were playing in Europe. I feel like we have a big squad and could handle it fine. Unfortunately, we are out of Europe but have a lot to look forward anyway. I think we are in a good place.”
On a challenging a period when he was out injured…Carl Starfelt: “It was tough. Especially the second injury I got when I was not long back from the first one. That was a tough period for me. It is all over now and I am just happy to be back on the pitch. When you get these long injuries, you are just happy to be back and take the positives.”
💬 "We don’t want to stay in the same place. We did well in the league in the first part and our goal is to evolve as a team."
Carl Starfelt spoke with the media yesterday ahead of #CELLIV
📺 Full media conference on our official YouTube channel ⤵️#cinchPrem | #COYBIG🍀
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 20, 2022
On the desire to play more now that he’s back fully fit…Carl Starfelt: “Of course, when you are back you are just happy to be there, contribute and play football again. Sometimes you can lose that a bit and take things for granted but, once you come back, you appreciate every detail and try to enjoy everything.”
On Livingston…Carl Starfelt: “We know they are a tough opponent. It is never an easy game against them. They are a physical team.”
On anything Ange Postecoglou says when bringing in a new signing for the same position…Carl Starfelt: “He doesn’t have to say anything. I think everyone knows at a club like Celtic that it is going to be like this. It is going to be tough competition for spots and as far as I can see every player is embracing that. You can never relax and it pushes everyone to be a little bit better. It is nothing he has to say or speak about. It is just the way things are and I think everyone has embraced that.”
On David Martindale saying that Callum McGregor is good enough to play at one of the top four clubs in England…Carl Starfelt: “I can say he is a really good player. I do not want to comment on any league that I have not played in. It is hard to say but he is one of the better players I have played with during my career. I am sure he could do that.”
Did he watch the World Cup final?…Carl Starfelt: “I did. It was a crazy game and really entertaining. It was a good watch for sure.”
Who do you think is the best player of all time?…Carl Starfelt: “After the final, I have to say Messi.”
On whether Celtic can cope playing against physical teams…Carl Starfelt: “I think we have been coping really well. We have some strong boys and, by playing our football, we usually limit the opposition’s chance of being able to make games physical. This is a good thing against these teams.”
On any surprise at 3rd placed Aberdeen’s defensive tactics at Pittodrie at the weekend…Carl Starfelt: “I don’t really look into it too much. It is not the first time we have met a team that is playing defensively so it is all about how we react to that. I think we kept our composure and got the three points which is all that matters.”
