Celtic’s Callum McGregor wants win over Rangers to stop negative vibes

Callum McGregor, the Celtic?midfielder, is looking for a win against Rangers on Sunday to banish an outside sense of “negativity” around the Parkhead side. Neil Lennon will return to Ibrox for the first time since taking temporary charge of Celtic in February and McGregor believes the onus is all on Rangers to give their support something to shout about.

Lennon’s side go into the game on the back of clinching their eighth successive title and with the opportunity still ripe for an historic treble clean sweep. And yet, McGregor has sensed an accusation that Celtic have fallen short on previous standards.

“We actually have more points this season than last year, so I think it’s more of a perception thing,” he said in reference to the fact the Parkhead side are two points better off than their final tally for last season.

“We’ve not lost a [domestic] game [since the turn of the year]. I think we’ve lost three goals domestically. There just seems to be a negative aura around it this year. The boys have been playing well, winning games and are in the Cup final. If we win that it will be a treble treble, but apparently it’s been a poor season.

Callum McGregor vies with Scott Arfield during Celtic's win over Rangers in the last Old Firm derby in March. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS

“We’ve always been focused on our job, knowing if we prepare well and turn up on the day then we’ll get the job done.

“I don’t really know why it’s been negative but we’ve always tried to prove on the pitch everything is fine, despite the change in manager and 
everything.

“Since the turn of the year we have been in our best form over a six-month period to secure the league and another Cup final.”

Rangers’ win over Celtic in December was the first win for the Ibrox club in this fixture for 13 games and, despite the fact that the Parkhead side accelerated away from the pack in the latter half of the campaign, the remnants of the day will be the foundations for the club’s preparations ahead of Sunday’s game.

“There is always a bit of spice in the fixture,” acknowledged the Scotland international. “For us, we have a bit to prove as well, coming off the back of the December match there. I think that was the one time in a two-and-a-half or three-year period when the boys didn’t turn up in a big match.

“The pressure is on them [Rangers]. They have to come and give their fans something to cheer about. We’ve won the League Cup, won the league and are in another Cup final.

“We go there with good confidence – not arrogance at all – just confidence that if we turn up on the day and play well then we can hope for a good result.”

Celtic will look to maintain their momentum ahead of their 25 May William Hill Scottish Cup final date against Hearts but there will be little respite before the gruelling Uefa Champions League 
journey begins.

Liverpool and Spurs have quickened pulses this week with their thrilling comebacks to get to the final of the competition but it was Ajax – who also entered at the qualifying stage – who offered inspiration on their way to the semi-final stage. And their journey did not go unnoticed by McGregor.

In some ways the comparison between Celtic and the Dutchmen is unfair; Ajax spent the guts of £45 million last summer and are set to rake in between £60m and £70m for their 19-year-old captain Matthijs de Ligt this summer, with Barcelona expected to start the plundering of the squad.

Still, though, the commonality between the teams in terms of their status outwith the top five is something that McGregor will draw encouragement from this summer.

“They trust in the way they play, in their football philosophy,” he said. “Watching it does inspire us. We look at that and think ‘why can’t we get into the group stage in consecutive seasons and get past the group stage in the next couple of years?’”

McGregor’s former colleague Virgil van Dijk and current Scotland team-mate Andy Robertson were on show for Liverpool while Victor Wanyama also played a part in Spurs’ performance.

“When he [Van Dijk] played up here he strolled it every single week,” said McGregor. “Within a season or two Virgil has become the best defender in the world.

“It is good to know he has been in a dressing room with you and you have played on the same pitch. It just shows you there is quality in Scotland. The perception of the game here is maybe not great, but it has been a good education for these guys.”