KEV WANTS JOY OF SIX
CELTIC LATEST
KEVIN HOLT insists Dundee’s top-six bid is still in their own hands.
Paul Hartley’s men were leapfrogged by Partick Thistle after losing 1-0 to the Jags on Wednesday night.
The result stunned the Dark Blues who’d won two in a row against Rangers and Motherwell. But Holt backed his side to hit back with six games to go before the split.
He said: “We are gutted to lose our top six spot to Partick but we didn’t play as well as we have in our recent games against Rangers and Motherwell.
“We were just a bit flat. However, we still have a great chance of making the top six as there are more than enough games left in the season to achieve our aim.”
Holt says his heart went out to fellow defender Julen Etxabeguren who not only scored an own goal against Thistle but was taken off with a suspected Achilles tendon rupture.
Holt said: “His first season was plagued by injuries and it’s a shame it’s happened again.
“Each time he’s been out he’s worked hard to come back fitter and stronger.
“I’m sure he will do it again this time.” SCOTT SINCLAIR has played alongside more than £100million worth of strike talent in Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Didier Drogba.
And the Celtic star reckons Moussa Dembele has all the talent to go as far as the deadly front trio.
Sinclair spent three years at Manchester City, arriving at the Etihad Stadium after Tevez and Aguero helped fire City to their first title in 44 years.
The Hoops wing ace admitted the South American pair are the most clinical frontmen he has seen in action along with Drogba, who he played with at Chelsea.
But in current Parkhead striker Dembele he sees a player who has the potential to reach the very top like his old team-mates.
The French striker took his tally for this season to an incredible 31 goals with his double in the 4-0 rout of Inverness on Wednesday.
Sinclair – also on the scoresheet in the Highlands for his 17th – has backed the 20-year-old to hit the 40-goal mark like Leigh Griffiths last season.
Dembele has already been linked with some of the world’s top clubs and Sinclair paid the £40m-rated striker the ultimate compliment.
The 27-year-old, battling it out with Dembele to be named Scotland’s Player of the Year, said: “Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez would be the most clinical strikers I’ve played with – and I could throw in Didier Drogba as well!
“I’ve been lucky to play and train with some good strikers but Moussa’s got all the attributes. He’s scoring goals and has that mentality to want to do better and better.
“It’s great to see. He’s similar to those I mentioned. He’s learning and I’m sure he watches YouTube clips and he’s trying to learn from the best. That’s what any young striker does.
“As a striker, and the confidence he has, he’s scoring every week. He got back-to-back hat-tricks and his development is unbelievable. He’s a massive player.
“I hope he can get more than 40 goals – the way he’s going it’s certainly possible. I’m sure he’ll be looking to break that target as well and he’s definitely going to play for France soon.
“Everyone has to look at how many goals he’s scored and how well he’s doing.
“He’s a loud voice in the dressing room and is much more comfortable with all the boys.”
Deadly Dembele capitalised on an error by Caley Thistle keeper Owain Fon Williams before lobbing the Welshman and stroking the ball home for Celtic’s second in the Highlands.
And Sinclair said: “That’s the confidence as a striker when you’re scoring goals every week. That’s the confidence it brings. He’s got that confidence to put it over the keeper’s head and tap it in.”
Inverness are the only side to have denied Celtic victory domestically after a 2-2 draw in September and Dembele admitted afterwards: “We wanted to go to Inverness and forget about the last game we played there.
“We did that. It was a powerful performance. I’m happy with 31 goals. I just try to do my job as a striker and score goals.”
And Stuart Armstrong, who hit the target with a stunning free-kick, also singled out Dembele for special praise.
He said: “Right now everything Moussa touches seems to go into the back of the net.
“He’s scoring important goals at important times but the whole team is doing well.
“I was happy with the goal. The manager gave me encouragement and it was nice to see it go in.
“We’re in great form and in a great position. We now go into the Scottish Cup game with a lot of confidence. I just want to keep performing and keep playing a part in this winning team.”
But while Dembele has been grabbing the headlines recently it’s Sinclair who has been arguably the star of the season for Celtic and proving a bargain buy at just £3.5m from Aston Villa.
He broke the deadlock against a stubborn Inverness side and said: “I always go into the game looking to create and score goals.
“That’s what I’m here to do and I’m enjoying it and that’s what I do every time I play. For the position I’m playing at wide left, 17 goals is a great return.
“When I first came here it was just about enjoying the football and that’s what I’m doing. Obviously I want to get to the 20 mark but I’m just going game by game.
“When you’re winning there’s nothing better than that and scoring goals.
“The team spirit here is unbelievable. Every day you go into training you enjoy every minute of it. There’s no better place to enjoy my football.”
Brendan Rodgers described the display in the Highlands as the most complete performance since he arrived at Parkhead in the summer and Sinclair agreed.
He said: “We started off with a high tempo and when we came out in the second half we did the same. We could have got more goals.”
Celtic are now just three games from clinching six in a row but turn their attention to the Scottish Cup on Sunday with a quarter-final tie against St Mirren as they chase a first domestic clean sweep in 16 years.
But Sinclair said: “We always deal with pressure. We’re out here to win games all the time. We’re always under pressure to do that.
“We have to take each game as it comes and make sure we give it 100 per cent.”
SCOTT SINCLAIR