Mitchell says Saints won't get ahead of themsevles after Celtic win
St Johnstone defender Zach Mitchell says no-one at McDiarmid Park is getting carried away after their surprise victory over Celtic, but hope to use the momentum from the result in their Premiership survival bid.Saints have been getting plenty of plaudits after last weekend's 1-0 win against the runaway league leaders.It was a huge boost and a much-needed win for the Perth side, who are five points adrift at the bottom of the table.Mitchell said: "We are in no position where we are going to get ahead of ourselves."We know what we have got to do and what the task ahead is, and although we will take those moments and live in the highs but you can't live in them for too long and we will be looking to our next game."That is what the manager has emphasised as well, is that, sometimes you can come away from a good win perhaps sometimes teams might let complacency come in and you might not perform to the standards that you would like, but I think we are definitely not going to let that happen.'"I think we will take a lot of positives from that game, but at the same time, we will use that as momentum to take into the next game."Despite their league position St Johnstone have been in good form of late; in fact, they have only lost one of their last six games in all competitions.They face another difficult challenge on Saturday when they travel to play a Dundee United side who are very much in the fight for Europe.Mitchell added: "There is a great togetherness in the group."We know we are not in a great position, but I guess there is more for us to gain when you are further down, so that is the sort of positive mindset that we have taken on, and we will continue to do so for the rest of the season."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Martin delivers transfer verdict on Raskin and Diomande
The new Rangers head coach was specifically questioned about the midfield duo's future at his Ibrox unveiling. Read more: Martin said: "We have to try and keep our best players. "And I think we're all really aligned with that. "So, unless things come in that really help the club to build and move forward, I don't think it's a necessity to do that at all. "That's my understanding of it. "And we've all been really clear on it. "So we'll just have to wait and see. "But I'm looking forward to working with those guys." Raskin and Diomande made a big impression last season, both netting in a 3-2 win against Celtic at Parkhead. Former Rangers boss Philippe Clement believes Raskin is capable of competing in England's top league. He said: "I think he's ready. "I'm convinced Nico would fit perfectly in the Premier League. "I'm not saying he would be in a top six team now. "But just below that, so he can calmly adapt to the level. "Make no mistake: Nico has a lot of room to grow."
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Ross Doohan to answer Scotland SOS as Steve Clarke looks to ease goalkeeper crisis
He is in line to win a first cap in Vaduz against Liechtenstein as he gets set to join up with the squad ahead of jetting out Ross Doohan looks set to answer Scotland 's goalkeeping SOS ahead of Monday's friendly with Liechtenstein. The Aberdeen shotstopper - who has penned a pre-contract with first club Celtic - is in line to win a first cap in Vaduz. Steve Clarke was forced into a frantic search for cover after Angus Gunn limped out of Friday's defeat to Iceland after just two minutes. Untried Ciaran Slicker was thrown into action but, with just nine minutes of football under his belt in the last 22 months, froze on the big occasion and was at fault for all three goals in the 3-1 defeat. To add to Clarke's woes back-up Robby McCrorie was injured in the warm-up meaning the Kilmarnock keeper and Gunn join a lengthy goalkeeping casualty list that had already seen Craig Gordon, Liam Kelly and Zander Clark ruled out. Now Doohan looks set to join up with the squad ahead of flying out to Liechtenstein on Sunday. The 27-year-old made 18 appearances for the Dons last season and was capped right through the youth ranks up to U-21 level where he made 13 appearances. Bournemouth kid Callan McKenna has also been training with the squad. But the 18-year-old former Queen's Park keeper will likely just be cover. Speaking after Friday's defeat Clarke said: "It's difficult for Cieran. I feel for him. "He got thrown into a situation where he maybe wasn't quite ready for it. But Craig's injured, Liam Kelly's injured, Zander Clark was injured. "I mentioned back in March that it was something I thought might come back to bite us. The only good thing is it came in a friendly match. "For sure I'll try and call up another goalkeeper. I've had young Callan McKenna who's just turned 18-years of age, training with us and he'll travel. I'll see if I can find another one somewhere in Scotland that's not on holiday." Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here. Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Who is Demir Ege Tiknaz? Celtic transfer 'target' manifesting one dream as another fades
The young Turkish midfielder is attracting interest from clubs across Europe Celtic have reportedly registered an interest in promising Turkish midfielder Demir Ege Tiknaz. The 20-year-old, who is currently on loan at Rio Ave from Besiktas, has caught the eye in his breakout season in Portugal. And the youngster's impressive showings have drawn attention from big clubs in Germany, France and Italy. However, the Parkhead side would have to navigate some obstacles in order to land the highly-rated playmaker. Here, Record Sport tells you everything you need to know about the up-and-coming talent. Who is Demir Tiknaz? Born on August 17, 2004, Tiknaz came through the ranks at Turkish giants Besiktas and made his senior debut as a sub in a 3-1 Europa Conference League win against KF Tirana in 2023. Capped at every youth level for his country, Tiknaz racked up 29 appearances for Besiktas before heading out on loan to Rio Ave in search for regular minutes. He helped the Vila do Conde-based club finish 11th in the Primeira Liga, starting in 28 of his 33 appearances. A defensive midfielder, Tiknaz chipped in with four goals and two assists across the campaign. How much would he cost? This is where it gets slightly complicated for Celtic. Uncapped Tiknaz - who earned his first senior international call-up in March 2025 - is still under contract with parent club, Besiktas. However, Rio Ave hold a £4.25million option-to-buy clause, which they are expected to trigger before the upcoming deadline on Tuesday, June 10. It's widely believed that Rio Ave's strategy is to sign the rising star permanently before immediately selling him on as clubs across Europe circle. The Portuguese side would double their money by demanding a fee of around £8.5m for the towering midfielder, who stands at 6ft 4in. That sum is well within Celtic's range, and should the Double-winners get a deal over the line, Tiknaz would become the club's fourth most expensive signing in history behind Arne Engels, Adam Idah and Odsonne Edouard. What has Tiknaz said? Istanbul-born Tiknaz has already overcome a major setback in his career after suffering a cruciate ligament tear in April 2022. That kept him out of action for around nine months before he eventually bounced back and made his Besiktas debut. Speaking to The Athletic, he said: 'On the pitch, you forget everything from your own life. "During these 90 minutes, it's kind of a therapy. When you touch the ball you forget everything, but after, you remember. Without football, life would really be way more difficult for us. 'When I didn't play football, I watched so many matches and had so many new ideas. When I was back on the pitch, I started playing with more maturity and I felt stronger. 'I felt stronger in the duels. I felt fitter and fresher. After returning from that injury, I thought if I can get through this one, I can get through any other problem.' Now one of the most highly-sought-after young players in Europe, Tiknaz revealed he models his game on Barcelona icon Sergio Busquets. He said: 'A box-to-box midfielder, that was my aim. Now I can say I'm a little bit like Busquets' style, though I'm taller than him — I am 1.93m. But I'm kind of a playmaker; regista. 'At the same time, I can play No 8, box-to-box, too. I feel good in these positions. I always want to have possession. I'm that kind of a guy.' As for his future? Tiknaz dreams big. His ultimate ambition was to share a pitch with Lionel Messi. But as that goal fades, he's set his sights on playing at the highest level possible. He added: 'I also had a dream to play with Messi, but it seems quite difficult because he's about to quit in a few years. I have another dream though — that is to play in England, especially in Liverpool if I can.' Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
