Strachan is still the best man to lead Scotland, says Griffiths
LEIGH GRIFFITHS and Moussa Dembele can count up an impressive 21 goals between them already this season for Celtic.
But in the race to start up front against Rangers in Sunday’s Betfred Cup semi-final at Hampden, the most important calculation remains that, for manager Brendan Rodgers, two into one does not go.
Of the potent pair, Dembele is unquestionably the man in possession of the sole starting jersey after coming into the side for the injured Griffiths and grabbing his big chance with both hands.
The Scotland striker had laid down the gauntlet with a hot streak of eight goals in eight games before damaging his hamstring against Aberdeen last month.
But Dembele responded in fine style with nine goals in nine, taking his total to 13 for the campaign to date.
Dembele’s haul, of course, included the first Old Firm league hat-trick in 50 years in a 5-1 defeat of Rangers at Celtic Park as the injured Griffiths applauded him from the stands.
Another two goals against Manchester City in the Champions League further burnished the former Fulham forward’s growing reputation.
While Griffiths admits he would not argue that Dembele is undroppable ahead of Sunday’s semi-final, the 26-year-old longs to be let off the leash in tandem with the 20-year-old Frenchman.
Together, he feels the potent pair could surprise Rangers and ‘run riot’ against Mark Warburton’s side at the national stadium.
‘There’s been a lot of talk about the manager fitting both of us into the team,’ said Griffiths.
‘That’s up to him. But would I like to see it? Of course I would. That would mean that I am back in the starting line-up.
‘But I think both of us playing up top against Rangers is something the fans would want to see.
‘Rangers wouldn’t be expecting it. They would be surprised by it.
‘And the two people who would find it most enjoyable would be myself and Moussa — because we could go and run riot.’
Griffiths admits it was a bittersweet experience watching from the stands last month as Celtic exacted a 5-1 revenge on Rangers for their Scottish Cup defeat on penalties at Hampden in April.
He insists he was delighted for hat-trick hero Dembele but that does not alter the fact he wants his place back. However, fighting for a starting slot at Celtic is not a new experience for the former Hibs and Wolves front man.
Joking that it is like having Ronny Deila back in charge at Parkhead again, he has vowed to win over Rodgers like he did his Norwegian predecessor.
‘I was totally gutted that I couldn’t play against Rangers last month,’ he said.
‘My injury cost me and I had to watch from the stands. Moussa came in and I was the first to congratulate him on his hat-trick. He is a terrific talent for us, a great player. He showed that against Rangers and also against Manchester City.
‘Good on Moussa. If I was in his position, I would be asking questions if I was dropped. I have no qualms about that but as a striker you have to be selfish — and I want to be back in that team and scoring goals. I want to play as much as possible.
‘It does feel like Ronny Deila is back. The season before last, I scored 20 goals after being in the side for four or five months, then I had to start all over again with Nadir Ciftci coming into the club.
‘I missed the first four Champions League qualifiers but then I got my chance against Malmo. I took my chance by scoring two and I went on a roll from there.
‘When Nadir was out the team I came in and scored goals. Then when I was out the team, Moussa has come in and scored goals.
‘But I am champing at the bit to be in the starting XI against Rangers. If not, I will be ready and waiting on the bench and then it’s up to me to take the first chance I get.’
Griffiths was a second-half substitute on Wednesday as Borussia Monchengladbach left Celtic’s hopes of European football after Christmas hanging by a thread with a 2-0 win for the impressive Bundesliga side.
But he insists his team-mates will have no trouble getting themselves up for Sunday’s trip to Hampden as they chase the first silverware of the Rodgers era.
‘We were on such a high after drawing 3-3 with Manchester City and now we are disappointed,’ said Griffiths.
‘But that’s just part and parcel of being a footballer. If you don’t take your chances at one end, you have to shut up shop at the other. Unfortunately, we didn’t do that against Borussia Monchengladbach.
‘Our aim is to blow teams away in Scotland and, when it comes to Champions League nights like Wednesday, we want to better ourselves as a team.
‘But we saw just how good a side Borussia Monchengladbach are. They are Champions League regulars.
‘We are going to have another difficult game against them in Germany in a couple of weeks. But I’ve no doubts with the players we have in our dressing room, we will be going there to get a result.
‘Of course it was a disappointing night but we don’t need lifted for a derby against Rangers in a semi-final at Hampden. If you do need lifted for a game like that, you need your head looked at.
‘The Borussia game is gone but there’s no better game to look forward to than against Rangers on Sunday at Hampden.
‘We have the chance to reach a national final. That should be all the motivation you need but it’s also a game against our greatest rivals.
‘They will be wanting to put one over us after the result (5-1) they had at Parkhead earlier this season.
‘But we will be back in training on Friday after a day off to recover, then it will be training on Saturday — and, by Sunday afternoon, hopefully we will have a League Cup final to look forward to.’
“It feels like having Ronny back at Celtic”