McGREGOR IS BEST PLAYER IN COUNTRY, CLAIMS DENS BOSS

JIM McINTYRE has warned struggling Dundee they will be up against one of the in-form players in the country when Celtic’s versatile Callum McGregor visits Dens Park tomorrow night. Neil McCann’s successor in the Tayside hotseat was at BT Murrayfield on Sunday as Brendan Rodgers’ doubleTreble winners beat Hearts 3-0 to reach the Betfred Cup final. McIntyre was left impressed by a Celtic side he feels are getting back to their very best form in domestic football. And his eye was particularly drawn to McGregor (right), who had an exceptional game after dropping to a deeper role in midfield when winger Scott Sinclair came on to replace Eboue Kouassi. ‘I think you would find it hard to name a player in Scotland who is playing better than Callum McGregor right now,’ said McIntyre. ‘He is a player who just seems to excel everywhere he plays. ‘I thought the first change Brendan Rodgers made on Sunday was excellent. He brought a natural winger on (Sinclair) and dropped Callum back into the middle of the park. ‘And I think the biggest compliment you can give Callum is that Brendan clearly trusts him to go into several roles because he knows the job will get done. Callum always puts in performances that affect games. ‘I thought Hearts were excellent for 60 minutes on Sunday but once Celtic got the first goal, you could see the fluidity coming back into their team. ‘Celtic have been brilliant since Brendan went to the club. They didn’t get off to the start they wanted this season but you can see lately they are getting there. ‘They always pose you questions. They shift you around and have quality all over the park. ‘They are still the team to beat in Scotland, without a shadow of a doubt. They are the benchmark for everyone.’ McIntyre, though, admits he was not surprised to see Rodgers the subject of criticism this season amid a poor start to the domestic season and some dismal European results. ‘No, not at all because that’s management,’ he said. ‘You create a rod for your back with success. So when you are a Celtic manager and have had success like Brendan, criticism comes with the territory.’ Tomorrow night’s match could not be more daunting for McIntyre’s men after his players shipped early goals in both halves during their 3-0 loss against leaders Hearts last week at Dens Park. ‘Concentration levels have to be tip top against Celtic,’ added McIntyre. ‘To beat them, you have to have your organisation spot on and have your whole 11 playing well.’