LEIGH GRIFFITHS is bang in the mood to shoot down “Rangers” in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup semi-final, according to Celtic boss Ronny Deila.
The 37-goal marksman netted twice in the 2-1 win over Motherwell at Fir Park a week ago after hitting a mini-blip by firing blanks in three successive games for the Hoops and one for his country.
Deila, though, backed the pacy striker and insisted: “I said all the time with Leigh that, when he gets goal chances all the time, you know he will score goals.
“I see him in training all the time and he is an unbelievable finisher. But, again, to get those two goals last week, you saw in the celebration that it meant something to him. He ran the whole length of the pitch to celebrate!
“That is a positive thing, to have positive experiences in the last game.”
In the Hoops’ last two semi-finals they have had a men sent off – Efe Ambrose in this year’s League Cup exit against Ross County and Craig Gordon in last year’s Scottish Cup defeat against Inverness Caley Thistle. Both red cards arrived when Celtic were in the lead and in control.
While joking he has had his team training all week with 10 men, Deila revealed he had a contingency plan prepared, but is urging his players to make sure he doesn’t need it.
He said: “We want to play with 11 players, so the small details are what we have to be really aware of, to be concentrated and to win the game.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a problem. The first one against Inverness, there were a lot of things happening in that game.
“The last time against Ross County, it was a very close thing and of course it changed the game.
“So, hopefully, we are done with that now and can play with 11 on the pitch. But we have a plan for playing with 10. We have to have that. And we also have a plan for playing 11 v 10.”
Deila added: “Of course, it’s going to be aggressive. At the same time, though, it has to be controlled.
“People know that we want to be aggressive – but in a good way.”
