Callum McGregor believes Celtic’s unlikely 1-0 defeat by struggling St Johnstone on Sunday served as a reminder that standards need to remain high every week – and he will make sure they do.
It was generally expected that the runaway William Hill Premiership leaders would get the win that would take them to within 90 minutes of retaining their title, but the league’s bottom side emerged with three valuable points thanks to a fourth-minute goal by defender Daniels Balodis.
Celtic are still 13 points ahead of Rangers and remain odds-on to win the title and they face St Johnstone in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park in a fortnight.
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McGregor knows what his role as captain will be in the run-in, starting with the home game against Kilmarnock next week.
The midfielder said: “It’s trying to guard against as much complacency as possible.
“It’s trying to get the most out the players, trying to lead by example of the senior players when we get to the pitch, we have to drive the intensity of the whole thing, which to be fair, in the main, we’ve done really well, although it was obviously a sore one on Sunday.
“Sometimes football has got a funny way to keep you honest and with so much football to be played then that’s a little reminder that you have to be on it every minute of every game.
“One hundred per cent (there’s still work to do) and like I’m saying, football keeps you honest because it’s inevitable some of the noise will probably seep in, but it’s our job to try and make sure that we are professional and we do the job that’s in front of us and then we can enjoy it once we’ve actually crossed the line.
“There’s a tough semi-final. You see that on Sunday. It’s the perfect example.
“We have to be razor sharp in the next five, six, seven weeks to make sure we end up where we think we will, but we have got to do that.
“We’ve put ourselves in an unbelievable position with so many games to go.
“People then start thinking it’s inevitable that you’re just going to turn up and it’s going to happen and that’s the bit where we give away the goal and then because of the way the game turns out, then that’s the way it looks and it’s not a good look.
“So we have to snap out of that straight away.
“And next week we have to perform better for 90 minutes, get the win and then see where that takes us.
“It’s difficult to get over the line when you’re so close and obviously there’s a fair margin in the points difference, but we then still have to be doing everything we can to sprint over the line rather than just waiting for it to happen.”
