Lustig under no illusions: Win or we’ll beonourway
Swede says players’ futures hinge on beating Rangers
MIKAEL Lustig last night claimed the future of every single Celtic player will be on the line in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers on Sunday – and not just that of manager Ronny Deila.
Calls from Celtic supporters for Deila to be sacked will increase this weekend should his side lose to their city rivals in the Old Firm semi-final of the William Hill Scottish Cup.
However, Lustig believes that players could also be moved on at Parkhead in the summer if they fail to overcome Mark Warburton’s team.
“I think there will be pressure from the fans, but maybe not from the board as it is just one game,” he said as he looked ahead to the Glasgow derby match.
“But it’s not just the gaffer – it’s all of the players as well. If we don’t do well then maybe we won’t be here next year. There’s a lot at stake and not just on the manager. We want to be the best team around and we want to prove it.”
The Swedish internationalist, who is certain to start at right back on Sunday if he is fit, admitted the Scottish champions hadn’t performed well enough this season.
But he believes that defeating Rangers and then winning the Premiership and Scottish Cup double would help to atone for the disappointments they have suffered and safeguard their positions at Celtic.
“We have not been satisfied with most of the season,” said Lustig. “Sometimes we have felt the criticism has been a bit harsh, other times we can agree.
“But if we can have a strong finish in the league and cup then maybe it will not look bad at all. We are in a good position in the league with eight points clear and we have a chance in the cup.
“This game can go a long way to doing that. We said after the League Cup we wanted a double and I think the fans and players would see it as a successful season if we can win both trophies.
“If you said before the season started that we would just win the league and do badly in Europe then we wouldn’t have taken that.
“It’s unusual to hear people talk about the manager, but we know what Celtic are all about.”
Rangers clinched the Championship title last week and they will now play alongside Celtic in the Premiership next season for the first time in four years.
The Ibrox club’s players will have high hopes of challenging for the Scottish title given how well they have performed under Warburton in the 2015/16 campaign.
However, Lustig believes Celtic can dent their confidence with an emphatic victory at the National Stadium on Sunday.
“If the game goes like it did last year [in the League Cup semi-final when Celtic won 2-0] then maybe they would be asking if they have the right team for next season,” he said.
“We will see if they are better than last season. I haven’t seen much of them. But this year they won promotion and they didn’t last year so you would think it will be a tougher game this time.”
Rangers have enjoyed great success going forward this season by allowing their full backs James Tavernier and Lee Wallace to get upfield.
However, Lustig feels that adopting that tactic on Sunday could leave them open at the back and allow Celtic to exploit weaknesses in their defence.
“A lot of teams play that way now throughout Europe,” he said. “They want the full backs to get up there and try to help score goals. But is it a risk? Absolutely.
“We will see what happens on Sunday. I don’t know if they will change it, it’s a semi-final, so you can’t just go out and play your normal football.
“You need to be a bit more focused as you can’t afford to make stupid mistakes. It’s hard to say. You always want to play your own football, but, this is a special game.”
Lustig joined Celtic midway through the 2011/12 season and witnessed the Old Firm game at close quarters that term and also played against Rangers in the League Cup semi-final last year.
He believes the superior experience his team has of the world-famous fixture will give them an advantage this weekend.
“No one really told me what it was going to be like last year, but I have been here a long time and I was here when they went out of the league,” he said.
“So I knew what it was all about. When the game starts you have to be focused. For me, it’s a positive.”
Lustig certainly has no doubts about how much victory matters to both sets of supporters having been pestered by both Celtic and angers fans since the semi-final draw was made last month.
“I may only have played against them the once but I have been here for four years,” he said. “I understand what it means to people. You get them coming up to you in the street or in the grocery store. Someone will come up to you and remind you how important it is.
“The Rangers fans have been fine. I’ve not had any abuse or anything – they just wish me bad luck!
“You take it in good humour. Sometimes you don’t know what club they support when they come towards you in the supermarket, so you just keep your head down and concentrate on picking your food.
“It’s all been good, the people in Glasgow have all been very friendly. It might be different after Sunday!” achieve those goals. A dream of mine was to win major championships and that’s what I dedicated myself to do, to work hard and gain that belief it might one day happen.”
Willett’s victory at Augusta has made him a certainty for the Ryder Cup in September while his place on the Great Britain team for the Olympic Games is almost assured.
All players within the top 15 of the Olympic rankings on July 11 will be eligible.