“It’s almost like a siege mentality for us,” Callum McGregor on Celtic’s Ibrox task | OneFootball

Callum McGregor has issued a rallying cry for the Celtic players and supporters for the business end of the season that starts today at Ibrox…

Callum McGregor celebrates at Rugby Park. Kilmarnock 2 Celtic 3. Scottish Premiership. Sunday 15 February 2026. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The Celtic captain has already done the same thing in the dressing room as he fires up the Celtic players ahead of the season run in starting with crucial Glasgow Derby in the Scottish Premiership this lunchtime.

“Everyone is trying to doubt us,” Calmac said, as reported by Scottish Sun. “Everybody’s trying to see if they can break you. We have to stand together and try to fight against that. And if we can come out on the right end of it, then what a message that shows everyone.

“That’s my message to everyone. It’s certainly my message to the players. We can come out the back end of this having still been successful even though everyone else is trying to break you.

Callum McGregor of Celtic plays the ball during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between VfB Stuttgart and Celtic FC at Stuttgart Arena on February 26, 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)

“It’s almost like a siege mentality for us,” Callum McGregor

“It’s almost like a siege mentality for us. There’s been a lot of conversation and chat about it. Not so much with the players, but you feel it in your everyday life. You’re not silly. You understand where the club is and the context and everything that’s happening.

“We as professionals have this burning desire to win. It’s trying to channel that like a siege mentality. If you think we can’t do it, then we’ll show you we can.

“That’s what I’m saying. As a club, we have to try to rally this next 12 or 14 games, whatever it ends up being. Can we be the guys standing with the trophies at the end of the season and saying, ‘Well, you tried to break us and you couldn’t?’.

“That’s where we are as players and staff. That’s the challenge that the players are well aware of. And that’s where we want to be.”

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Celtic captain Callum McGregor with Celtic Manager Wilfried Nancy Celtic Team Training and press conference, Lennoxtown Training Ground, 2 January 2026. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

The unbelievably stupid decision to allow Wilfried Nancy anywhere near the Celtic job.

Celtic’s pursuit of the title this season is reminiscent of a quality golfer playing with his low handicap against a couple of less talented golfers with their high handicaps. It makes it more interesting in golf. In football it’s a curse for Celtic caused by the unbelievably stupid decision to allow Wilfried Nancy anywhere near the Celtic job.  We’ll never know but looking at Martin O’Neill’s record either side of our French farce it’s reasonable to surmise that MON would not have dropped those dozen points and Celtic would be well clear at the moment.

Celtic Manager Martin O’Neill speaks at a mainstream conference on Tuesday 6th January 2026 at Lennoxtown after returning to the club following the sacking of Wifred Nancy. Photo Andy Buchanan Shutterstock

“Since Martin O’Neill has come in, we’ve actually done a lot of good,” the Celtic skipper noted. “You’re kind of fighting against everything else on the outside. But when you come into your building, I see a group of people who are not broken, who are up for the fight, who are actually playing some good stuff.

“We’ve gone to places like Stuttgart and won. We’ve beaten Feyenoord, drawn with Bologna.”

“You’re just fighting against everything else external. The bit for the players is to try to block that out, not listen to it because it’s not actually real. What happens here every day is what’s real,” McGregor added.  “When Martin and Shaun Maloney have come in, more times than not, we’ve won a lot of games. We’ve gone to places like Stuttgart and won. We’ve beaten Feyenoord, drawn with Bologna.

Luke McCowan of Celtic celebrates scoring during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between VfB Stuttgart and Celtic FC at Stuttgart Arena on February 26, 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)

“A lot’s been made about the external noise. But actually, when you come inside, it’s pretty good. We just need to channel the good stuff and fly into these next 12 games or so and hopefully we can be successful.”

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“In 12 games under Martin and Shaun, we’ve actually accumulated the most points.”

“We saw a stat the other day. In 12 games under Martin and Shaun, we’ve actually accumulated the most points. There’s the other narrative. Throw that one out there, that since these guys have come in, we’ve been the better team. Everything else, all the noise, is for everyone else to talk about.

“We zone in on what we can do and what we can affect and then we’ll see what the outcome is.”

22.02.2026 Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership. Referee Matthew MacDermid conveys his VAR decision on Auston Trusty red card. Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO.

The frustration of the defeat to Hibs at Celtic Park is still there and regardless of the terrible decisions by VAR and the match referee and the MIBs on the Scottish FA appeals panel doubling down to protect their own, Callum McGregor remains convinced that the sending off was a terrible decision. We can watch every corner today with added interest.

“The red card for Auston Trusty is a really bad decision and it kills you.”

“Last week against Hibs, we lost. The red card for Auston Trusty is a really bad decision and it kills you with 20 minutes to go,” he said. “It’s been that type of season where, if you draw the game, it’s probably a good result. But you lose it in the last couple of minutes, which takes the sting out of anything good that did happen in the game.

“It’s probably been a season where the small margins have gone against you a little bit. But the boys are okay. We know where we are and where we need to be come the end of the season. here’s definitely enough quality and mentality in there to make it happen. But now it’s down to the players to go and make it happen,” Callum said.

A Celtic fan flies an Irish Tricolour on the way to Ibrox. theRangers v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Ibrox, 11 March 2018. Credit: Photo by Stuart Wallace Shutterstock/IMAGO

On the eternal narrative that theRangers are favourites today, the Celtic captain reckons that’s merely down to home advantage and dismisses that as merely optics.

“Will it be a tough game? For sure it will be, because the crowd will be behind them.”

“That’s just perspective from the outside again. If the game was at Celtic Park, would everyone say we’re the favourites? I don’t know, probably they would. That’s just optics. You can’t actually do anything about that. That’s what people are talking about. And that’s fine, it’s not a problem for us.

“Will it be a tough game? For sure it will be, because the crowd will be behind them. You have to manage that and manage the experience on the day. But if you’re looking at this game, I’d say both teams are good sides. It can go any way on the day,” he said.

A dejected fan of theRangers sits with his head in his hands in the Govan Stand after watching his team lose 3-2 against 10 men Celtic. theRangers v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Ibrox, 11 March 2018. Photo Photo by Stuart Wallace Shutterstock/IMAGO

“The only reason people are saying (the)Rangers are favourites is because it’s a home game. We can’t do anything about that. We can’t change where the fixture is played. We just have to go and do what we have to do to make sure the game looks the way we want it to look.

“Hopefully we can slide the margins towards ourselves and in the end pull off what will be a big result,” Callum McGregor said.

With Hearts getting a 1-0 win at Tynecastle against Aberdeen they have extended their lead over Celtic to nine points having played two games more. If Celtic win at Ibrox today and go up to Aberdeen in midweek and collect the three points then that gap is down to three points with Hearts having to come to Celtic Park post split.

Just keep on winning Celtic, that’s the message for Callum McGregor. The business end of the season kicks off today. Celtic need to get off to a flyer.

Callum McGregor and the players of Celtic pose for a photo as they lift the Premier Sports Cup following the Premiership match between Celtic FC and St Mirren FC at Celtic Park on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

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