Celtic Focuses on Self-Performance Despite Early League Challenges

Luke McCowan is confident that as long as Celtic maintains their standards, they won’t need to worry about a title challenge from Hearts, despite their recent league draw against Hibs, which left them two points behind the league leaders.

After Saturday’s 0-0 stalemate at Celtic Park, Celtic finds themselves in a tight race, with Hearts poised to extend their lead if they beat Motherwell next weekend. However, McCowan emphasizes that Celtic’s focus remains solely on their own performances rather than the standings.

“We’re not concerned about Hearts; it’s more about showing why we’ve been champions for the past four seasons,” McCowan stated. “It’s about performing at our best. Regardless of the points gap, we need to uphold high standards and keep pushing ourselves.”

Luke McCowan in action during Saturday’s match against Hibs

He added that consistent high-level performance is key, regardless of other teams’ early-season form, citing Hearts’ strong start as a challenge from the competition. Celtic aims to uphold a standard that will serve them throughout the long season.

Despite failing to convert chances in the latest game, McCowan remains optimistic about Celtic’s ability to prove their strength over 38 matches. “There’s always a team ready to challenge us; last year it was Aberdeen, now Hearts. But if we perform well, the results will follow,” he explained.

Furthermore, the team’s attention was also on a silent protest by fans, who deliberately remained silent for 12 minutes at the start of the match to voice concerns over club management. McCowan respects their right to express their frustrations but emphasizes the team’s focus remains on football.

“Our main job is on the pitch. The protest is outside our control, but as players, we need to stay committed to winning matches,” he said. “We’re aiming to return to the scoring ways that have historically defined us, and if we keep this level, wins will come.”