Albian Ajeti responds to Rangers title odds shift as Celtic striker sends ‘dominance’ reminder

Celtic striker Albian Ajeti has insisted he’s even more fired up for Ten In A Row after bookies made Rangers favourites to win the title.

The Swiss international insists his team mates are ‘happy and smiling’ despite a miserable three game run which has seen them lose the first Old Firm game of the season, go down to a 3-1 defeat at home to AC Milan and then slip six pints off the pace at the top of the table with a 3-3 draw at Pittodrie.

And he has warned that Neil Lennon’s side are determined to bounce back after being written off as top flight underdogs following nine years of successive championship wins.

He said: “I don’t know how the other boys are feeling but this gives me a massive motivation because I know Celtic – everyone knows Celtic – and everyone knows how dominant they have been in the last couple of years.

“It’s like another challenge now but I am very excited and really looking forward to it. I think we are a team who loves this kind of challenge.”

Celtic now face the daunting task of a trip to face high flying French outfit Lille before returning home for a Scottish Cup semi final rematch with Aberdeen at Hampden – with pressure building on under fire boss Lennon and his misfiring players.

But, speaking to Celtic TV, Ajeti says all the champions are missing is a little bit of good luck.

He went on: “I’m very excited about the coming games. They are going to be two tough games but we are really looking forward to them.

“We’ve been preparing very well, the atmosphere is very good in the team, everyone is happy and smiling and happy to work hard for each other.

“So we’re really looking forward to the next two games.

“Lille have had a brilliant start to the season this year and have a very good squad. But we had a very good game against AC MIlan. They are a big club but we battled them, we had a good fight against them. We were a bit unlucky but I hope that we find the luck back on Thursday.

“If we keep playing like we played against Milan and if we keep the happiness high then I think a lot is possible.”

(Image: SNS Group)

Ajeti also has one eye fixed on the unique chances to help Celtic complete’s last season’s quadruple Treble by going all the way in the Scottish Cup – a mission he says will be pay back for a support which has been locked out of the game since coronavirus closed down the previous campaign in March.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to the cup game because I know the history of this club. Unfortunately we can’t share it at the moment with the fans in the stadium. But the extra motivation is to win it for them because it must be hard as a fan not to be allowed to watch the games. So this will be an extra motivation for us and we’re preparing well.”

And he insists Celtic need have no fears about a quick rematch with an Aberdeen side which came close to inflicting a third successive defeat upon them during a dramatic 90 minutes on Sunday.

In fact, the former Wet Ham man is convinced his side deserved to take home all three points after twice coming from behind to take a 3-2 lead – only to lose a last minute penalty.

He said: “It was a tough game but we knew that even before. But we really played well and we deserved the three points.

Read More Related Articles

“If you concede a penalty before half time and then in the last second of the game it’s hard to understand. But I think if you score three goals away you deserve to win.

“But as I said, we are working hard and we are waiting win the luck back that we had before. I think then the good games will come back.”

And Ajeti says the return to fitness of talisman Odsonne Edouard and Israeli international Nir Bitton – both of whom were floored by Covid-19 – has come at the perfect time.

He said: ”Obviously they are two very important players for us who were doing very well before they got positive tests. They are important players for the team and also for the dressing room.

“This makes us better and stronger as it’s always good to have the whole squad back together. It’s important for them and for us to see them back playing again.

“It’s not easy for them or for any player who has to self isolate for a couple of days but we’re looking forward to having a whole squad now.”