Win at all costs: Lubo Moravcik says Celtic must focus their attentions on Scottish Cup success. Pic: ©STV
Lubo Moravcik has told Celtic to forget their SPL woes and focus on delivering the Scottish Cup to a success hungry support. The Slovakian, who spent four years in Glasgow and became a firm fans’ favourite, believes that any silverware would count as a positive.
In the league, Rangers have raced 13 points clear at the top with 10 games remaining, creating what appears to be an unassailable lead over their Parkhead rivals.
Tony Mowbray’s team are still in the Scottish Cup and travel to face Kilmarnock in the quarter finals on Saturday, as they look to avenge their 1-0 defeat at Rugby Park back at the start of February.
With a place in the last four at stake in a competition Celtic haven’t won since 2007, Lubo says that everyone’s attentions should turn to collecting a 35th success in the cup competition.
“With 13 points, it is a very difficult situation,” conceded Moravcik. “But still the Scottish Cup is a final focus and a final target for Celtic. If Celtic win the Scottish Cup it is still a season with one title.”
Moravcik, who moved to Scotland in 1998 after being signed by Dr Josef Venglos, became an instant hero with the fans when he scored a double in a 5-1 win over Rangers shortly after his switch.
The current campaign echoes his first season in the top flight with the Hoops, in which Rangers claimed a domestic treble after winning the League Cup and SPL title.
Celtic stood in their way in the final of the Scottish Cup but went down 1-0 to a Rod Wallace goal early in the second half, a result which sealed Venglos’ fate, heralding the disastrous arrival of John Barnes.
With that in mind, Moravcik has warned the current incumbent of the manager’s job that success is a must by offering a tale of how events panned out when Venglos’ team surrendered all three competitions to their Old Firm rivals.
“It will be very, very difficult to accept no trophies,” said Moravick. “I remember my first season. We had the same situation. We were behind Rangers and could not catch them.
“The cup final was the only thing left for us. It was the last chance to satisfy the Celtic fans under Dr Jo. We lost, he moved.”
