ALVES: FANS OWED AN OLD FIRM RESULT
Loan Bhoy says Bren’s men will be so confident
ERIK Sviatchenko believes that Celtic have sufficient reason to be “quietly confident” ahead of their trip to Ibrox on Sunday afternoon. The Hoops defender, currently on loan at former club FC Midtjylland until the end of the season, has followed all the build-up to the game against Rangers from Denmark and he expects that Celtic will be happy to do their talking on the pitch.
There has been much said this week about the gap that exists between the teams and the possibility of Rangers putting pressure on Celtic with a positive
result this weekend. However, the 26-year-old has maintained that having held the upperhand in the fixture for so long, Celtic are right to approach the game with every belief in their own ability to get the win.
“I have followed a lot of the build-up this week but I think it is only natural that Rangers would talk up their chances,” said the defender. “If you are speaking to the media then it is difficult to say anything other than the fact you believe in yourself and that you will win the game. It is all about trying to give yourself that marginal edge ahead of the game.
“But Celtic know what they are capable of and what they can do. They have been on top of this fixture for a long time and I think there will be a quiet confidence about them ahead of the trip across the city.
“Their results have been fantastic domestically since Brendan Rodgers came into the club. They will approach this game with the same preparation as always and I think that they will come out of it on top.”
And for all that Sviatchenko is far removed from the build-up and hype of this weekend’s game, he has ensured that he is still in touch with all that is going on at Celtic.
“I still have my Celtic TV log-in,” he smiled. “I watch all the games and I would guess that I will be the first person to settle down on the sofa on Sunday to watch the game. I keep up with everything at Celtic. I have a lot of feeling for the club and a lot of friends who are there. I am always supporting them and wanting to celebrate in the success of the club.
“I don’t think that will ever change.”
Meanwhile, Sviatchenko has cited Hoops skipper Scott Brown as the catalyst for Celtic at Ibrox.
“One of the things that I miss is the feeling of running out of the huddle at the start of a huge game like Sunday’s after listening to one of Scott’s team talks.
“He is not aggressive in the huddle but he is determined and he gets to the point. When he has finished with what he has got to say you have that extra five per cent as you hear the roar from your own support. It is a great feeling.
“He is one of the few players who has that special button. He can be silly and playing around one minute and then he hits the button and he is in full-on game mode. He can carry people where he wants them to go and that is a special kind of leadership.
“It is a funny word to use to describe someone at this stage of his career, but for me, he is always developing. To be able to play at Celtic and at that level for 10 years tells you that you need always to be striving for improvement and I think you can see that in him. He is capable of providing that little bit of inspiration that gives you a little extra bit in your legs.”