Leigh insists Celts squad still best in Premiership
LEIGH GRIFFITHS insists that Celtic retain the strongest squad in Scotland even as they battle to keep up with Premiership pace-setters Rangers.
Eleven points adrift in the league table and out of both Europe and the Betfred Cup, the champions are enduring a torrid season that has imperilled the position of manager Neil Lennon.
Yet despite the alarming collapse in form that threatens a 10th consecutive title, the striker insists he would not swap any of his colleagues.
Back in the squad for today’s visit of St Johnstone after a knee injury, Griffiths is adamant Celtic retain the country’s best pool of players.
‘One million per cent,’ said the
30-year-old forward. ‘I wouldn’t change anybody in the dressing room for anybody else in Scotland.
‘That’s my view on it and I think everybody else in there would feel the exact same way.
‘But we need the results to start talking. Hopefully that starts this weekend.’
Yesterday’s newspapers were full of headlines from former Rangers chairman Dave King, who believes the Ibrox club are on the cusp of embarking on their own period of dominance.
Proffering a market value of £200million to Steven Gerrard’s squad, King insisted it will be up to Celtic’s board to respond with new investment.
Griffiths, 30, batted aside talk of a power shift. He added: ‘Listen, they can talk however they like. We keep everything in-house. We know what we are all about. If we keep doing our job, working hard in training, results will turn for us.
‘We don’t listen to outside noise. We want to collect the three points and move on.’
The Celtic striker, meanwhile, insists he is determined to cement his place the Scotland squad for next summer’s Euro 2020 finals.
Griffiths, who will be watching tomorrow night as the qualifying groups for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are drawn in Zurich, said: ‘There’s a massive incentive to stay fit for the next five months and make sure you’re in that squad for the Euros.
‘You need to be playing regularly. I need to keep on top of my fitness, make sure I’m injury free and start rattling in goals again.
‘Come March, we will be into those World Cup qualifiers and we’ll be ready to go, hopefully with a favourable draw.’