Than anyone holiday mode
Priority after disappointing end to year for Parkhead men
be good to go and get our feet up for a bit before getting ready to come back and go again.
“There is a lot of hard work now to be done in the second half of the season and we are fully focused on getting on with it.
“It is not all doom and gloom – we have won the League Cup and we have Europa League football to look forward to in February and I think that while we were all gutted at the defeat and the manner of the defeat on Saturday, you have to look at the bigger picture.”
McGregor also believes that the feeling of being on the losing side on Saturday will be something that can motivate the Celtic players as they look to go for an eighth successive title.
“There are a few of our boys who don’t know what it is like to lose a game to Rangers,” said McGregor.
“It is a pretty hellish feeling and it isn’t one that you want to go through too many times.
“Over the piece we have had a good run at it but the feeling that stays with you is probably what it is to walk off the pitch having lost the game. You can use that.
“You have to take that and make sure it works in your favour and that you come back stronger from having gone through it.
“It happened to us before at Hampden a few years back and we came back pretty well from that.
“It is important now that we look to do the same and come back to start producing some consistency between now and the end of the season.”
Celtic have not been helped by injuries either. Kieran Tierney missed five games in December with an ongoing hip complaint while Odsonne Edouard was crocked in the home win against Motherwell but was forced to play sporadic minutes because he was the only striker at the club.
Leigh Griffiths is out for the foreseeable future as he deals with personal issues, while the injury problems to Filip Benkovic and Mikael Lustig hindered Rodgers’ scope to change the game at Ibrox.
“A full week with no football at all should help some of the boys and if there are any of us still struggling with knocks then you still have the chance to get over it before the games start coming.
“I think it is probably as beneficial mentally as well as physically although I have to say that I am not one to complain about playing too many games.
“I quite like the games coming thick and fast and I think it is a reflection of a successful season but at the same time it will be good for the guys who have been struggling recently to properly get themselves match fit.”