IRREPLACEABLE Strachan hails Callum
GORDON STRACHAN reckons Brendan Rodgers should be tucking Callum Mcgregor into bed every night to ensure he leads Celtic’s fight to stave off Rangers.
The former boss says Daizen Maeda’s bold title prediction means there are no fears around his old club over a resurgent Ibrox title charge.
But Strachan boss does admit Celtic calm could switch to Parkhead panic if the “irreplaceable” Mcgregor is suddenly removed from the furious battle.
For the very first time this season Rodgers’ side do not hold a points advantage over their biggest rivals at the top of the table.
Victory over Ross County in midweek has seen Rangers drew level on points with the defending champions.
Celtic still lead by virtue of scoring four more goals but it’s on a knife-edge with a 13-game sprint now left for the flag.
Maeda is still of the belief that his team will go on to claim the crown and Strachan is adamant that’s a good sign of composure within the group as opposed to any shot of arrogance.
But he also knows the scenario reliable alternatives at his disposal. Strachan explained: “If I was the manager, I would take Callum Mcgregor home every night after training and sit him down next to me.
“I’d keep him fed, watered, and wrapped in cotton wool. I’d tuck him into bed at night because he is such an important figure.”
Strachan’s concerns over a setback for Mcgregor are not echoed when it comes to the bold statements made by Maeda.
The Japanese star stated last weekend that Celtic would withstand Celtic lost Mcgregor the heat which is for a three-month period being placed upon them by last season when the captain Rangers as they have better was struck down by a knee players. injury. Strachan said: “By making these
Aaron Mooy stepped in and was comments this early, I actually
superb alongside Matt O’riley and think he would have boosted the
Reo Hatate as Ange Postecoglou’s confidence in the camp. Rangers
team didn’t drop a single Scottish have clawed the back gap on Celtic,
Premiership point in the time of but his comments tell me that the
their leader’s absence. Celtic players aren’t panicking However, with Mooy now and have the belief that they can retired and Hatate on the injured win the title this season.” list, Rodgers may not have such * is tight and could be altered dramatically if Mcgregor is ripped out of the firing line.
Strachan said: “Celtic can handle the absences of every single player apart from one man: Callum Mcgregor. He is irreplaceable. If he got injured, I would be worried. If I was a Celtic fan I’d be worried about keeping Mcgregor fit for the remainder of the season.”