Callum McGregor urges Celtic players to take ‘responsibility’ in optimistic outlook after derby defeat

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Celtic are on a mission to recover from their derby defeat to Rangers at Ibrox by getting back to winning ways against St Mirren this weekend.

Unfortunately, the Bhoys never turned up at Ibrox and paid the price, but they can take comfort in an 11-point advantage over their rivals at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Brendan Rodgers has been over the course many times before and won’t panic in the face of a frustrating loss in Govan. Moving on has to be the mantra, with fixtures coming thick and fast over the next few weeks.

Post-match, Rodgers lamented Celtic’s poor intensity against Rangers, offering a reference point as the Bhoys aim for a significant improvement this weekend at home to St Mirren.

Hurting after a derby defeat is normal. Nevertheless, Callum McGregor has set out how his side plan to quickly brush their performance at Ibrox off as they look ahead to the second half of the campaign.

Callum McGregor on Celtic’s mindset after Ibrox defeat

Speaking to The Daily Record, McGregor believes there is plenty of character in a Celtic dressing room that will be fuelled with motivation to recover from their derby disappointment.

He stated, firstly on Rodgers: “You can tell he’s hurting, as is everyone. So that’s the sign of a competitor. It doesn’t matter how many points you’ve got, how many games you’ve won, or how well you’re doing; if you lose one game, it stings, and it hurts.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	CelticCeltic	19	16	2	1	52	7	45	50
2	RangersRangers	19	12	3	4	34	13	21	39
3	Dundee UtdDundee Utd	20	9	7	4	30	21	9	34
4	AberdeenAberdeen	20	10	4	6	32	28	4	34

“So that’s the sign of a champion and an absolute competitor. So it’s good that we feel like this, and we’ll use it as fuel to turn around.

“The players know, the players are happy to take responsibility. It’s us who go out and try and perform and try and deliver the success that we need, so we have to take responsibility when it doesn’t go well.

“That’s what we’ve got, the big characters who will take responsibility. We’ll find a way to fix it, and then we’ll try and rectify it as quickly as we can.”

Celtic looking to swiftly move on from events at Ibrox

Dwelling isn’t an option for Celtic as they look ahead to other challenges, but it feels like a relief not to have a winter break in the immediate aftermath of a derby defeat.

St Mirren’s visit to Parkhead is a swift opportunity to get back on the canvas. Three points should be the only motivation for the Bhoys before switching their focus to Dundee United at home next Wednesday.

Striking with a quickfire pair of victories would help to negate some of the anxieties the support have expressed after events at Ibrox. Hopefully, the reigning champions can oblige!