Carl Starfelt admits he’s been getting irritated lately.
The defender is fully aware that the big picture of winning games and performing at high levels are the only real markers that matter at Celtic. With 17 victories out of 18 top-flight games and the last 11 coming in succession, the correct numbers are adding up to keep Starfelt satisfied. But, for a defender, there always remains the extra incentive of the clean sheet. The final part of a complete day’s work.
Starfelt wants that feeling back. And confesses it’s annoying when he doesn’t get it. In the past seven days, the champions have recorded home wins over Livingston and St Johnstone. Yet, on both occasions, Starfelt and the backline have had to suck up the concession of a goal. With both games in the bag, keeper Joe Hart was forced to pick efforts from Livi’s Nicky Devlin and Saints’ Drey Wright out his own net.
Starfelt knows the main objective as he said: “The most important thing is the performance and winning the game.” But the Swede can’t help admit losing goals takes some shine off for him as he continued: “I do want to keep clean sheets. It is a little bit irritating when we concede.
“It is about addressing it and keep working hard to make sure we keep going forward.”
It says much for Celtic’s professionalism and drive for perfection that such mini-setbacks cause irritation. It also says something about the team’s scintillating attacking power that any setbacks at the other end of the pitch have caused virtually no domestic damage.
Although the team lost only seven more goals in the whole of last term’s title win than the 15 they have shipped already in the Premiership ahead of tonight’s halfway mark match at Hibs, there have been mitigating circumstances. For a start, injuries to Starfelt has meant his solid partnership with Cameron Carter-Vickers hasn’t been sighted on the pitch too often.
It’s the rock on which Postecoglou’s success was built last term and the Scandinavian admits enjoyment of playing alongside the American World Cup ace. Starfelt said: “He’s a really good player and I feel like we have a good chemistry on and off the pitch.
“We see many situations the same way. He’s a very strong player. You always know what you will get from him. He’s easy to play with.”
Starfelt himself doesn’t feel as though he’s fully back to his best following the two lay-offs which have limited him to just seven starts. In the beginning, it was a knock sustained when playing for Sweden in the summer internationals which kept him out of pre-season.
Having returned for away matches against Kilmarnock, Dundee United and Ross County to August to boost confidence going into the home clash with Rangers, the 27-year-old was slammed straight back into cold storage when limping out of the 4-0 derby win. It was a source of frustration, but he’s been back into the usual routine since the World Cup shutdown with three starts in the past 11 days.
Starfelt accepts he’s got more to work upon before he’s fully tuned, but said: “I felt I had some good weeks of training during the break and, while I am not yet 100 per cent, I feel I am getting back there.
“You need to play games and I feel my best after a few weeks of consistently playing. Physically I feel good and I feel that I’m in a good place. We are all aware of how we want to play. You do want that consistency in the back line. You want to get to know each other and work as a unit.
“No matter who comes in, it is very clear what you should do. Reo [Hatate] came in at full-back against St Johnstone and he adapted really well.
“We need to keep improving. We always want to evolve. We want to do big things, so we need to keep improving.
“For sure, you can always get better. I feel like we have been evolving consistently and if we keep working with these players, I’m sure we will get even better.
“You could see that in the Champions League. Now, it’s domestic this year, but long term we want to keep improving and be able to give even more in the European competitions.”
Postecoglou is, of course, ensuring that members of the backline stay on their toes with competition for places strong. As well as adding Canada World star Alistair Johnston to the right-back mix, Japanese Yuki Kobayashi will be available from Sunday having signed last month in the central area.
German Moritz Jenz is waiting for more opportunities having covered in the absence of Starfelt, while Stephen Welsh, although currently injured, can also offer solid back up. The Scandinavian relishes the additional jousting for jerseys across the squad and said: “Of course. And it’s not only my position. It’s almost all of the positions.
“It keeps everyone a little bit on the edge. You know that you cannot relax in games or in training.
“In games, it is a bit more natural to give 100 per cent, but also in training you need to be really at it. It’s good. At a club like Celtic, that’s how it should be.”
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