Source: FOOTYMAD
Determined to succeed
There is a quiet confidence about the Celtic squad but not overly so. Paddy McCourt is adamant there will be no over-confidence ahead of Sunday game against Rangers. The players are determined to keep pushing to end the club's two-year spell without a trophy. The league leaders are favourites with bookmakers ahead of the visit of Rangers following their impressive display with 10 men during the recent Scottish Cup draw at Ibrox. Celtic have scored 21 goals in seven games and are unbeaten since losing to Hearts on 10 November last year, while Rangers' preparations for the derby have been interrupted by their Europa League 1-1 draw with Sporting Lisbon. Rangers cannot be dismissed as under Walter Smith they have consistently been able to dig out results, winning six trophies in the previous three seasons. McCourt has been a Celtic player for more than two-and-a-half years but has never won a medal, having been out of favour when the team last picked up silverware with a League Cup success in 2009. The Northern Ireland international said: "The mood is good, the lads are on an unbeaten 16-game run so confidence is high, but we try not to turn that into arrogance, we try to keep it level-headed. There is no arrogance coming out of the dressing room. There is confidence there but the last thing you want is for that to turn into arrogance, and I'm sure the management staff won't let that happen. It is still neck and neck for the title and Rangers are still in all three (domestic) competitions. It would be a bit stupid if we thought we were the best thing since sliced bread without actually winning anything." McCourt feels a personal pressure to help Celtic deliver trophies as they battle Rangers in three competitions, with a Co-operative Insurance Cup final and Scottish Cup replay to come next month. McCourt said: "When you come to a club like this, the one thing you come here for is to win trophies. If you're not doing that there's no point being here. It's two years I have been here and I haven't won anything yet so I'm hoping this is going to be the year I can collect a bit of silverware."
