Callum McGregor: We focus on ourselves going into Saints game

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Celtic F.C.

·26 September 2024

Callum McGregor: We focus on ourselves going into Saints game

After three homes game in a row in three different competitions, the Celts are on the road again this weekend with a Saturday visit to Perth to take on St Johnstone in a 5.45 evening kick-off.

The champions head north to take on a team who are, at the moment, managerless with Craig Levein being the SPFL’s first hot-seat casualty of the season.

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That, of course, could change before the game kicks-off, but as far as Celtic skipper, Callum McGregor is concerned, there will be no change to the Hoops’ approach to the game.

He said: “There’s two sides to that. Obviously for us, we just try to focus on ourselves as much as we can.

“Of course we’ll have a look at St Johnstone in terms of the way we think they’ll try and stop us, from maybe looking at previous games.

‘But the onus is more on us, and what we can do, and the little bits picking up from the weekend where we can get better.'

“And then of course a manager may come in and that might change the game plan for them, but as much as we can, we look at ourselves and see how we can go and dominate the game.”

If the Celts do control the game and deliver a scoreline to match that dominance, that will take the team to a sweet nine-in-a-row, nine wins from nine games in the three different competitions so far, and the captain feels that the current success of the team has its roots in last season’s march to the Double for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

He said: “I think it was just a real good building block from the work that we did last year.

“We probably didn’t get the performances for the amount of work that we were putting in and trying to build what it is you see now as a real free-flowing team that understands the rhythm of the game and how to change the rhythm of the game.

“You’ve got really good speed in the side. If teams want to come and press you, you can go direct to them.

“So there was a lot of work done last season that probably went unnoticed a little bit, and we probably didn’t get the rewards for.

“But there’s been a real good 12 months of work now, coupled by good recruitment in the summer.

“The profile of the team looks good, and then there’s obviously the confidence in the team. When you start well and you score a few goals then everything just sort of runs and gathers momentum from there.

“So, probably a combination of all that.”

He added: “It’s a really strong squad, I think the profile of the team is pretty much where we want it to be. There’s a good balance of speed, and power and physicality with the right tactical stuff as well.

“So it is a really balanced group with a lot of young players and good enough experience as well. So we’ve managed to build ourselves a strong squad and I guess time will tell how well we go on and do.

“But it certainly has all the hallmarks of a good team, and it’s now just about the players delivering that on the pitch.”