LIAM CRAIG insists League Cup winners St Johnstone are more than capable of toppling Rangers this week.
Saints take on the Premiership champions in a double header with a league clash at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday night being followed by a Scottish Cup quarter final at Ibrox this weekend.
Callum Davidson’s team have lost each of their games against the Gers this campaign, but despite the lack of points on the board, stalwart midfielder Craig remains full of belief.
“It’s a huge week for the club and one we are all looking forward to,” he said. “Obviously it’s going to be very difficult because Rangers have only lost one game domestically all season and none in the league.
“To go and beat them twice in five days is going to be a huge ask. But at this stage of the season it’s great to be in the latter stages of a cup competition and fighting against the best in the top six.
“That’s where we wanted to be so we are looking forward to it. We want to finish the season as strongly as possible and to catch Livingston. Fifth place might give us a European spot as well.
“There is so much to play for. Rangers will want to try and get through the league season unbeaten, so it is going to be difficult. But they come to Perth first and we want to win the game.
“In the games against Rangers we have tried to have a go at them. We aren’t naïve enough to think you can do that from the first minute because they have match winners all over the pitch.
“They are a very good side and have proved that at home and abroad. You need a game plan and part of that is staying in the game.
“What Rangers are good at is killing off games. But we have confidence we can win.”
Having already sampled the Europa League with Saints, Craig is determined to leapfrog Livingston into fifth place in the Premiership, where European football could be a major possibility.
He continued: “I played in Turkey against Eskişehirspor back in 2013. I think we finished sixth that season but for whatever reason we got into Europe.
“I could never have imagined that as a club we would go on to have the success that we’ve had since. It is brilliant for the supporters.
“I went over to Lithuania as well. The supporters love these trips and competitions and rightly so. As players we love being part of it as well.
“That is the aim now and we have put ourselves in a position where it is achievable. It is going to be difficult, but we will give our all to get there.”
Craig was also quick to praise the fitness of his St Johnstone teammates and the continued squad rotation of boss Callum Davidson.
He added: Over the course of the season we have probably been lucky with injuries as well.
“A lot of that is down to the work of the physios, the management and the way we are training. The players deserve credit for the way we are looking after each other.
“It has been tough in terms of the amount of games we’ve had in a short period of time.
“What the manager has done really well is rotate the squad. From the first cup game back at Kelty.
“Everyone has been fresh and everyone has had minutes. The last two Saturdays he has rotated the squad to make sure everyone is ready for this final push.
“There will be no excuses on our part in terms of preparing properly. We just want to make what has been a great season an even more memorable one.”
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