Here’s what the Celtic captain Callum MCGregor had to say at the Media Conference earlier today ahead of Sunday’s Glasgow Derby against theRangers at Ibrox.
“Obviously we’re looking forward to the game, it was good to get everyone back from international duty unscathed, we’re got pretty much everyone to pick from so it’s good, we’re in a good place, raining was lively and sharp this morning so we’re looking forward to the game.
“We have to approach in the same way we have done throughout the season. Every game is a big game at Celtic and the next one is the biggest one so we have to approach that with the same mindset. The manager will be putting together a game-plan, the way he thinks the game should go and we’ve got to go and carry that out, the same as we do every other week. So we stay calm, we go there to get a positive result and we see what happens come the end of the 90 minutes.
Asked about achieving a similar standard of performance as Celtic managed in the 3-0 win over theRangers on 2 February: “We need to strive to get the same level of performance, that’s what we do in every game, the manager asks us can we go and play the best game of the season and that’s what he will be asking is to do come Sunday so of course it was a positive result and a positive performance the last time we played but every game is different.
“There are different challenges every time you go on the pitch and I am sure that will be exactly the same on Sunday. There might be a different challenge to overcome but we know that within the group we should have enough if we prepare properly and we go into the game to give absolutely everything us as a group of players, management staff and as a club we know that nine times out of ten we’ll be successful so all we’ll try and do is give everything on Sunday and see where that takes us.”
Asked if Celtic avoid defeat on Sunday, how much does that put us in the driving seat for the title. “We take every game as it comes. Sunday is a big game, hopefully we can get maximum points, it would put us in a great position with a few games remaining but we have to see what the task is, see how the game goes and at the end of the 90 minutes we’ll see where we are.
“But by no means is it going to define where the title goes, there’s still a lot of football to be played and you’ve got to win all your other games as well so if you go there and win but you don’t back that up with a win the following week then you’ve not gained an advantage so like I said the manager will be asking us to give everything in the game and we’ll see where we’re at come the end of the 90 minutes.
Next the Celtic captain was ask about having both sets of fans in the stadium for the first time in a long time. “Really looking forward to it, it’s great to have our fans in, obviously it’s a small number, a small pocket in the corner but they’ll be giving everything as will the players.
“It’s good to see that things are moving back in the right direction and we take it from there in terms of trying to get some more (away) fans in for games that are coming up but certainly for the players it will be a boost to look up to the corner and see our own supporters.
“You look up, your fans are in the corner, they are giving everything and that spurs the players on to do the same and when you go away to your rivals, that’s what you want, that support behind you, like I said they will give everything and hopefully we can make it a good day.”
Asked if the build-up is different for this game compared to others. “No, we approach it the same way. The manager has been great since he came in. He’s got a way of working, we stick to that. He sets the training, the players give everything and that’s what he asks so it’s been exactly the same this week.
“Obviously we’ve had boys returning in dribs and drabs from international (duty) but the most important thing is that everyone is fit and healthy and ready to go. Training this morning was good, everyone looked sharp so it’s a good problem for the manager in terms of picking the team but we work the same way, we approach every game exactly the same and we will give everything come Sunday as well.
Asked if he’s expecting a cagey encounter on Sunday. “I don’t think so, certainly the way we play will be high tempo, we’ll try and play our game, our football and then it’s up to them how they approach the game. One thing is for sure, we’ll be going there to try and play our football and to dominate the game.
“That’s the way the manager wants us to play, he’s asked that from us every single time we have been on the pitch, no matter whether it been an away game or a home game, he wants us to play the same way so expect much the same from us.”
Asked about the importance of senior players within the group this weekend. “Hugely important, they always are. You need good professionals, you need good senior pros in your squad, setting standards setting expectation levels for the younger ones to get to and when you come to these sort of games you need that calming influence as well.
“We’ll take the responsibility, we’ll take the pressure on our shoulders and let the guys go and play and do their stuff so that’s the same message we try to show the players, go and enjoy it, play with freedom, go and do your stuff and we will take the responsibility. That’s exactly the same message from the senior boys.”
The importance of Celtic’s long unbeaten domestic run stretching back to early September…”It’s been a good season so far, we go into the game confident, we know we’re on a good run but these games have a funny way of throwing up something different so you have to be ready for that.
“The experience that we’ve gained so far this season will hopefully standing us in good stead. If we face a different challenge we think we’ve got enough to overcome that and that’s what we need to do. We need to go there and be men and stand up and be counted and come the weekend we’ll be giving it everything we can to make sure it was a positive result.”
Asked if the mindset going in to this game three points ahead as opposed to being behind, is different. “No I don’t thing so, every league match there’s three points at stake, if you want to win the league you’ve got to win the games so that’s the way we approach it. It’s no difference for us, it’s another league game, another big game for Celtic and we need to go and try to produce the goods.
“It doesn’t matter where we are in the table, if we are ahead or behind, the manager has been very clear, he wants us to set the standard within the group then come match day that should come out, all the good training, all the good standards we are setting every day then should be a product of what we are doing every singe day in training.”
Callum was then asked about the small insight we got into the manager’s team talks yesterday with the audio from the League Cup Final. “The manager has been great, he speaks really well, he is very calm, he knows exactly what he wants and that’s obviously the job of the manager to try to motivate the players.
“We know what he wants us to do, we know our jobs, we do it every single day in training and when it comes to the match day everyone knows their role. If he can come in and add a little bit and push boys over the edge and get them ready for the game then that’s great and that’s exactly what he’s done.
“He’s been absolutely first class at it so far, obviously we have come to expect that from him, he speaks really well.
Asked about the significance of Celtic having the best defensive record in the league. “The team is performing well, we’re on a really good run and these type of things don’t happen if you don’t do them every day, if you don’t train that way every day, the standards that you set every day in the training ground, that’s all a product.
“It all comes out on the pitch and that’s what we’ve had such a good run. Everyone knows their job within the team individually and collectively and that’s when you start to produce those kind of runs so we approach the game in the same manner at the weekend. We go there and try to produce.
Asked about playing with so few fans and the hostile environment at Ibrox affecting the younger players and the message he’ll give to them on Sunday. “Keep them calm. Everyone knows their job. The team are well drilled, they’re well coached. It’s just about trying to keep that pressure off the players, the experienced players are really important for that. We take the responsibility, we let these guys play, they understand their role within the team and we’ve got to help them through it so that’s a job for the senior ones.
And finally asked about a positional preference between the holding midfield role or playing as an attacking midfielder? “No not really, I’ll play wherever the manager wants to play me, I’ve got a job to do for the team and wherever he plays me I’ll give absolutely everything to that role and to the team so it doesn’t faze me anywhere really.”
