Martindale: Celtic match won’t faze us
WITH back- to- back meetings with Celtic on the horizon after tonight’s clash with Aberdeen, Livingston have more reason than most to be concerned by the growing coronavirus crisis blighting Scottish football.
But, with the comfort of a stunning eight- game winning run, David Martindale insists his side are relaxed – about facing Celtic and the wider fears of the pandemic threatening the conclusion of the current campaign.
Hibs boss Jack Ross admitted his players’ families had expressed concerns about playing Celtic after 16 players and staff were forced into quarantine by Christopher Jullien’s positive Covid- 19 test on their return from Dubai.
A call for a fresh round of testing on Monday ahead of the 1- 1 draw was rejected but Martindale admits that he and his squad will take comfort from the fact that Celtic will have to go through further medical checks before they face them on Saturday and again next Wednesday.
He said: “I have a wee bit of sympathy for Celtic in that they got permission from the Scottish Government and the football authorities to go.
“Somebody’s picked up Covid – but that could happen here.
“I get it, it’s a bird’s nest. You don’t know if you’re doing right for doing wrong.
“I just try to focus on us and make sure we are doing everything we can and I think at this club there are a lot of people who deserve a pat on the back.
“We have been very good or very lucky, or maybe a wee bit of both.
“Over the next four to six weeks I think it is going to impact us more; there are more people with the virus, and the virus is more contagious. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out how it’s going to go.
“We’re fortunate that we play [ Celtic] on Saturday. From what I believe, Celtic will be retested on Wednesday. Hibs never had that luxury.
“I can’t really give my opinion on that because I wasn’t walking in Hibs’ shoes. I’m in a different set of shoes from Hibs’.
“But I’ve got no concerns about playing Celtic on Saturday. They’re going to be retested before our game. I think that’s where a lot of Hibs’ concerns came from.”
Meanwhile, Martindale is keeping his fingers crossed a premature end is not called on the current Premiership campaign, like it was last term when the pandemic first hit the country.
After finishing fifth in March and being denied the chance of pushing for European qualification, the West Lothian side do not want a repeat in the coming months.
But Martindale is adamant Scottish football has to take a back seat to wider society in dealing with the health emergency.
He added: “I hope it doesn’t happen because what took place last season was unjust on a lot of teams – Hearts going down, Partick Thistle, Stranraer, Falkirk not being promoted. So I hope we don’t go back to that.
“One hundred per cent, we don’t want to league to be called. But last year we were fifth and we were flying. We could have chased for Europe.
“You just have to put your own agendas to the side and see what happens. Whatever happens, happens. We would go along with it again.
“Smarter people than me are going to make that decision and, whatever it is, we’ll go along with it.”