CRAIG AIMS TO END SPECIAL SEASON FOR SAINTS WITH A EURO PLACE
LIAM CRAIG would love to top off a dream season by getting his passport out again. St Johnstone’ are on a twin track to Europe. They need to rein in Livingston to claim fifth place or wreck Rangers’ bid for the Double. The champions are in Perth tonight on league duty and the clubs clash again at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup quarterfinals on Sunday.
Craig, left, would love Saints to win both and said: “That would be huge. Nobody has managed to beat them in the league all season. You see how impressive they were against Celtic and how impressive they’ve been all season.
“Look at the strength and depth they’ve got. They’re playing with a real confidence and a real belief. But these are the challenges you want as a player. Rangers have just been relentless. Go through their team, starting with McGregor in goal. He’s right up there for player of the season. Goldson, Davis, Morelos, Kent and Aribo, it’s an incredible squad.
“To beat them twice in five days is a huge ask. But at this
stage of the season it’s great to be in the latter stages of a cup and fighting against the best in the top six.
“That’s where we wanted to be so we’re looking forward to it. We have to be at our best and carry an element of luck, as you always need against the top teams. Over the course of the season we’ve shown we can put in a performance that can hurt them
“Against the top teams you don’t get that many chances, so it’s important we’re ruthless at both ends.”
Craig insists that Callum
Davidson’s Saints will be spurred on by the lure of another Euro campaign.
He said: “That’s the aim now. We’ve put ourselves in a position where it’s achievable.
“It’s going to be difficult but we will give our all to get there.”
would find himself promoted to Scotland’s first choice left-back.
When it was put to him yesterday he might be one of the few to benefit from UEFA throwing the kitchen sink at the 12 protagonists, Taylor blushed: “No comment!” But even he wouldn’t want to win a Scotland starting place in such a manner. He added: “It’s been a crazy few days with all of that going on.
“Ideally for us as a nation you’d hope that won’t be the case. You want your best players there, whether it’s Scott McTominay, KT or Robbo.”
Yet Taylor is driven by the prospect of ending Celtic’s campaign on the kind of personal high that might allow him to enjoy a historic summer.
He said: “That focus is at the back of our minds, our immediate focus is on Celtic. If you’re playing well here and playing well for your club then the rest should take care of itself. But yeah, that is at the back of your mind with it being so soon.
“If I get the chance to play against Aberdeen that is an opportunity for me, so my full focus is on that game and that’s pretty much as far as I look.”