Celtic skipper Callum McGregor gave his assessment of the Hoops’ goalless draw against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday evening at the Maksimir Stadium…
A landmark night for Celtic’s captain
It was a landmark night for captain Cal who significantly reached 100 European appearances as a Celtic player in Croatia’s capital. Speaking to TNT post-match, McGregor explained he and his teammates did not reach the attacking levels they have done so far this season and thus did not merit three points, “I think probably the way the game panned out in terms of the control in possession and everything else. I think if we’re honest, we probably didn’t do enough to win the game; when you come away and you’re comfortable it kind of feels like a missed opportunity.”
“At this level, we’re now a team that other teams want to respect” 🙌
Callum McGregor reflects on Celtic’s draw against Dinamo Zagreb…
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“We probably didn’t do enough”
“I think if we’re really honest, we probably didn’t do enough to deserve to win the game, so we know there’s a bit of work to be done there. Overall, another point, it keeps us moving in the right direction, with two games to go the objective is there for us.”
Reiterating the point of creating very little, Celtic’s midfield general said, “I think also at this level, the teams you’re playing against are good teams and they defend well and they’re all physical boys that can run and defend.”
Celtic dominating the games
“Even though you’ve got a lot of the ball, the game was set up for little duels, little actions where it’s maybe a bit of magic that can win the game. Obviously, in a difficult night, pitch a little bit bobbly as well, then that can happen, but I think the good thing is at this level now, [we’re] dominating the games.”
We’ve only lost one game in six
When asked on what the target is for the remaining two matches in January against firstly BSC Young Boys at Celtic Park and then Aston Villa in Birmingham, McGregor responded, “the objective is there, we’ve done really well up to this point. We’ve only lost one game in six, so it shows that we’re getting better all the time. The two game shoot-out at the end is where we want to be and hopefully we can do what we set out to do.”
Echoing the words of the skipper, Celtic’s tally of nine points from six games in the revamped 36-team format is impressive. A victory against bottom of the table BSC Young Boys is all that is required for a famous knockout playoff round spot.
The team will now look ahead to the Premier Sports Cup final versus theRangers on Sunday afternoon at Hampden Park where the first piece of silverware of the season is up for grabs.
Conor Spence
Celtic in the Thirties
By popular demand, both volumes of Celtic in the Thirties are now available on Amazon Kindle, with the links to order below. Signed copies of both volumes are available on hardback from Celtic Star Books and if you would like author Matt Corr to add a special Christmas dedication to your copies please let us know. Postage deadline for Christmas is next Wednesday. Order hardback copies HERE or for Amazon Kindle click on the links below…
For way too long our club has revelled in past European glories?
Yet they have been in very short supply within our present?
However, we still remain within a period of Scottish dominance, to the likes that has never been achieved before, within the Scottish game?
This season, we still remain on course of actually closing that gap between European success and Scottish dominance kept intact.
This weekend against the scum, will only confirm, that we are getting back closer to where we should be aiming for imo?
The achievements of our historical “67” team may possibly be never achieved anytime soon?
But what is actually wrong with aiming to get second to our 67 team?
That’s potentially the prize on offer for ourselves this weekend, even if someway to go, before such a claim could be made for ourselves?
Certainly believe calmac as captain is more than worthy of having such an accolade associated for himself with our team at present?
And still believe that getting the win over the scum, is only the start of a magical season that awaits for ourselves also imo?
A defeat would be treated like the wheels have come off ourselves, and we can’t allow that to happen, especially at the hands of such scum either?
And confident that won’t be the case either, especially with calmac leading our team?