Celtic produced a five-star performance to see off Ross County.
But Hoops ace Luke McCowan says Brendan Rodgers’ side just want to Netflix and THRILL rather than look at the Premiership table. The Parkhead midfielder put on a stunning show against the Staggies as the champions stretched their lead over Aberdeen to five points. McCowan was given a start by Rodgers and repaid his gaffer’s faith with a goal and three assists. Liam Scales, Paulo Bernardo, Callum McGregor and Adam Idah also got in on the act. And if Celtic beat Dons at Pittodrie on Wednesday night there will be daylight between themselves and the chasing pack.
But McCowan says the players are more interested in watching basketball series Starting 5 on Netflix. Asked if the players had discussed stretching their lead, he said: “No, we’re not talking about that. We talk about what we’re watching on Netflix. We’re watching Starting 5 so, no, the boys don’t look at tables or think about it.”
McCowan hasn’t been a regular this season but when called on he hasn’t let his manager down. And ahead of a huge fortnight for the club, which also includes a Champions League away game at Dinamo Zagreb and an Old Firm cup final, McCowan is determined to play his part.
He said: “It was probably my best performance so far. I want to help the team as much as I can no matter the game time I’m getting. I just want to impact games. Getting a goal and three assists is good. Will I stay in the team for Wednesday? That’s not my decision and the squad has unbelievable quality.
“No matter if I’m starting or not, I’m ready to play and help the team. If you’re not playing you can’t have a petted lip. You need to be ready for every game even when you’ve not played in a while.”
Rodgers reckons his relentless side are ready for a decisive December as they look to progress in three competitions. The hectic run of games could have a major impact on their season as they look to pick up silverware, qualify for the next stage in Europe – and stretch their lead at the top.
And Rodgers said: “It’s a massive part of the campaign but we’re really excited by it. We’re trying to develop a team able to challenge on all fronts and that’s the confidence I have in them. What we saw today is the humility of the team. We made changes, players came in and worked tirelessly in the structure we wanted. In all of the games coming up we’ll need that.”
Rodgers tinkered with his side against County, leaving out six players who started against Club Brugge in midweek. And the gaffer heaped praise on his players for their performance.
He said: “That was everything you’d want as a coach. We had to attack the game and you saw the hunger of the players. Scalesy got us off to a great start and we were relentless after that We played equally well in the second half but you have to give credit to their keeper (Jack Hamilton) who made brilliant saves. We hit the post, the bar and I was impressed with the mentality of the team.”
Rodgers played his fringe men but says EVERY member of his squad is capable of starting. He said: “The players who came in are all starters. They know I trust them and they know the demands here. Luke has been unlucky not to play more. But he’s ingrained in the touch-pass tempo we play. He was brilliant out there.”
Now, Rodgers wants a repeat display on Wednesday night against nearest league challengers Aberdeen at Pittodrie. He said: “It’s a great challenge but we’ll go with a fresh, confident squad. WLukee know we’ll have to work hard to get a result.”