CHANCE TO STUN CELTS Win at Parkhead would be shock of the season
St Johnstone forward Steven MacLean hopes to send shockwaves through Scottish football with a win at Parkhead.
The Perth squad travel to Glasgow tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon to face a Celtic squad who are yet to taste defeat in the Premiership this season.
MacLean, who returns after missing last week’s victory at Aberdeen due to suspension, knows netting a win away at the champions will require every player to be on top form.
“Celtic is going to be harder again and everyone will be expecting us not to get any points,” the 34-yearold told the Perthshire Advertiser.
“Anything you get at Parkhead is a bonus but we will look forward to it because these are the games you want to be involved in. We’ll embrace it and try to get three points. I think it would be the shock of the season.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s going to be a very difficult task, but we aren’t going there to lie down and get turned over.
“We will give it a go but we’ll need to be disciplined. We’ll need 11 players playing at
MacLean
Steven the top of their game and probably three subs too.
“And we’ll have to hope that Celtic don’t play at the top of their game to get three points. We’ve been there before and managed to get a positive result.
“Scott Brown will be a miss for them but they have the likes of Nir Bitton, who is worth millions of pounds. Whoever they put out it will be a hard task for us.”
Last week’s positive result up in Aberdeen has provided a perfect platform for Saints to push on for a European place, MacLean believes.
“It’s not good being suspended but it was a great win for us up in Aberdeen,” he said.
“We managed to get the result and I was especially pleased for wee Craig Thomson getting his first goal.
“The result sets up the last four games well for us, we’re in a great position. In the dressing room we knew we could go up to Pittodrie and win. “If you look at our record up there, we lost a last minute goal in the cup and have had a couple of goal-less draws. “When you look back to last season we beat them 5-1 and
1-0. People outside the
dressing room probably thought we couldn’t but we knew deep down we could.
“Now I think one more win should get Europe, but it all depends on what happens at the weekend.
“It might all come down to the Hearts game but regardless, it’s going to be a good end to the season.
“We’re really pushing for fourth and desperate to get it. It will cut holidays short but everyone is tuned in to wanting back early and having a crack at Europe.”
MacLean was full of praise for the Perth management team, who continue to produce the goods at the crunch end of the season.
He said: “The gaffer is good and realises what the players here need. Personally speaking he gives me an extra day off here or there if he thinks I need it. If it’s been a long season I think that’s important. But he also knows when to crack the whip and when we need a hard session.
“They know the players and that is a testament to the gaffer and his staff. We are treated as a group to an extent, but he knows what the individuals need.”