Callum McGregor has urged Celtic to ‘sprint’ over the line to the title after Sunday’s 1-0 shock defeat to St Johnstone.
The Hoops are just six points from claiming their fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership crown.
Brendan Rodgers’ side currently boast a 13 point lead over second place Rangers.
The Celtic captain, speaking after the shock loss in Perth, said: “It’s the same message all the time. We’re trying to drill that into the players and the team that you know you have to start games well.
“If you give teams a head start then you see the plan from them for the next seventy minutes. They’re in the medium block and we are then pushing and pushing.
“The game becomes a bit stretched because you’re one nil down. You’re trying to get level as quick as you can, so sometimes then maybe the decision making, you’re trying to score off the first pass rather than making a few extra passes and getting yourself into the area that you want to.
“So when you don’t start well then you know the idea of the game becomes a little bit cloudy. We’re at our best when we’re calm, we play the system, we’re attacking the right spaces, but when you go one down so early you’re then chasing it.
“Especially at this time of the year when you know there’s so much at stake. We have to try and cut those little bits out which make the game easier for us.
“I think football has got a funny way of keeping you honest. You know everybody is talking, you hear the noise about when you’re going to win the league. We have to perform to make sure that we get over the line.
“We’ve put ourselves in an unbelievable position with so many games to go. People then start thinking it’s inevitable that you’re just going to turn up and it’s going to happen.
“We give away the goal and then because the way the game turns out, then that’s the way it looks and it’s not a good look.
“So we have to snap out of that straight away and next week we have to perform better for 90 minutes, get the win, then see where that takes us.
“It’s difficult to get over the line when you’re so close and and obviously the points difference, there’s a fair margin in it, but we then still have to be doing everything we can to sprint over the line rather than just waiting for it to happen.
“Football keeps you honest because it’s inevitable, the noise you know some of it will probably seep in, but it’s our job to try and make sure that that we are professional and we do the job that’s in front of us and then we can enjoy it once we’ve actually crossed the line.
“There’s still a lot of football to be played. There’s a tough semi-final. If we’re going to take anything from the game then you know we have to be razor sharp in the next five, six, seven weeks to make sure we end up where we think we will.
“I think probably in recent weeks that’s maybe got lost a little bit but actually we’ve done so well to get to this point where we are comfortable and the points difference is so big, but it’s the wee bit that’s the hardest is to get over the line.
“It’s difficult for the players but you know we’ve got to do it. We’ve put ourselves in an unbelievable position so we’ve got to enjoy this bit where you’re flying through the line.
“You know you get the accolades that you want, and as a team over 38 games you deserve to be the champion. Once you cross that line then that’s the gratification that you’ll get amongst the players, amongst the supporters, amongst the club.
“So it’s now on us to make sure that that happens as quickly as possible. It’s trying to guard against as much complacency as possible. It’s trying to get the most out of the players and trying to lead by example as a senior player.
“When we get to the pitch we have to drive the intensity of the whole thing, which to be fair in the main we’ve done really, really well. With so much football to be played then you know that’s a little reminder that you have to be on it every minute of every game.
“You have to peak and keep peaking and that’s the life as a Celtic player. When you play for this club, when you play for a big club, then the expectation is there every single week.
“It’s never going to change and you have to make sure that you’re at the level, the team are at the level, and you’re constantly winning things because you know when we win the next one everybody will be asking the question about what’s happening the next time.
“That’s life as a Celtic player. You have to take the responsibility and then like I say when we cross the line that’s where we get the gratification amongst ourself that we’ve worked so hard all season and now you’re a champion.
“For the players now it’s about getting amongst each other and making sure we’re sprinting over the line come the next couple of weeks.
“Nobody’s going to be perfect every week and the reason why we’re in this position, I keep saying it, is because we’ve been so good. The first six to seven months of the season you probably couldn’t pick a bad performer.
“Everybody was unbelievable so there is inevitably going to be dips throughout the season.
“You find ways to win games of football when you’re not playing well and you arrive in a situation where you’re two wins from winning the league. Now the players have got to stick together.
“Everyone’s got to stick together because we’ve done so well. It’s now big push. Let’s get over the line.”
