Why VAR's a good thing - James Forrest's Celtic Q+A in full

Does it ever get any less special reaching cup finals?

Not at all. That was the first time we have been at Hampden this season. It was a new experience for some boys and even though I have played there a few times it is still something that I look forward to. We were delighted to get into the final.

How does the manager make sure standards don't drop?

We are expected to do well in every competition and want to do well. In the cup competitions it is one-off matches and different to league games. It is all about making sure everyone is on it, particularly in cup games, where everyone has to stick together to try and get into the next round.

Are you out for revenge after the last match against St Mirren?

It is not about revenge. Fair play to St Mirren as they have done really well this season and I think they are unbeaten at home. [The previous match] was a few months ago and it was a different team we had and I don't think that game will be in the back of anyone's heads going into tomorrow. The manager won't let that happen and he will make sure that no matter what team is playing tomorrow, we are ready to go and will do what we expect to do. 

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What is your opinion of VAR in Scotland so far?

Obviously, all the top leagues in the world use it so it is a good thing that it was brought into Scotland. I think everyone has to understand that it is going to take a bit longer for people to get the decisions right. I think it is a work in progress and I also think it is a good thing for Scottish football.

How difficult was it to play on the Hampden surface?

It was difficult. I only played the last 10 minutes of the game but it was noticeably bad. However, it maybe makes it better for us as well that the pitch was not that great and we still managed to get into the final.

Is it important that the surface is improved for the final?

Definitely. The national team are going to be playing there in March as well so it is good for everyone if they try to do their best to improve the surface.

Do you prefer when a team plays attacking football against Celtic?

The manager focuses on what we do. I have played here for years and against so many teams, so I am used to all styles. It is a good experience for some of the new boys to come up against different opposition and different styles. That only benefits you as a player when you overcome different tactics.

You have got the League Cup final coming up and the added edge of a Rangers game are you experienced enough to forget about that for the time being or is it difficult still? 

It is five weeks away and we have a lot of important games before then. The manager has said that's it done and obviously, everybody was delighted that we are in the final but it will definitely be put aside until then. We have got loads of important games up until the cup final and I'm sure a few days before everyone will start to get excited about it. We do have loads of games in different competitions so there are more important things just now.

Given the state of the pitches, I can imagine there will be a fair share of squad rotation, how does that tie in with all the players trying to get a starting place for the League Cup final?

I think I have spoken about it before this season that the manager has changed it up a lot and he has used a lot of the players in the squad. The ones that start he likes to make a lot of changes and that is what he has done up until now and that has been really good. It has helped us to maintain the high levels of performance that we have displayed right through the 90 minutes. We have got a big squad and a lot of quality players so I think everyone just has to be ready whenever they get a chance or whenever they are called upon. With regards to the cup final we will take it game-by-game and every player will look to get as many minutes as possible.

A look at St Mirren's record this season shows that they don't score a lot of goals but they have the third-best defensive record in the league, do you imagine you will have to move the ball about and expend a lot of energy to try and break them down?

It's a credit to them and the way they play and they manage to get results from it. That is the way they play and it worked against us at the start of the season. We just know if we play our way that is all we can do and we just want to try and get the three points that way.

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This is the stage of the season where the trophies are handed out and both you and Callum (McGregor) have experience with that. Do you think it is something you can help other players with?

Definitely. I think there are a couple of older, experienced boys who have been in and about it. I think even with the manager coming in last year a lot of new players in the squad had never been in that position before but I think they handled it really well last year. Last season definitely helps for a lot of those players, the Champions League experience I think a lot of it is based on confidence. You can see the way the players in the team are all playing. Everyone is confident. I think that helps as well as the players who have been there and done it before. The players can take confidence in themselves and the way they are playing.

Do you think your past experience in these situations will help you start more games in the coming weeks and months?

That is up to the manager. I have really enjoyed the season so far. I wasn't playing too much at the start but I came back into it. We have got a big squad and all the boys are close and everyone wants the same thing. We want to be in the cup finals and we want to be playing in the big games. I think as a squad we are really close together and we trust what the manager is doing. I think that definitely helps the squad be successful.

Daizen Maeda has been in great form since the World Cup finals you train with him every day can you tell us a little bit about him and the impact Harry Kewell has had on yourself?

Everybody was buzzing for all the boys that went to the World Cup. They have all come back confident having played for their countries and had a great experience for them. Daizen (Maeda) has come back flying and he has scored a few goals lately. He is doing what he has done since he came in so that is a credit to him. Harry Kewell has not only helped me but others. He helped me greatly at the start when it was one game a week for the first four weeks and I didn't feature that much. He still made me feel a big part of it and even though I am one of the older players it was still really good that he would take you aside after training and do extra with you because he wanted you to do well when you did get the chance. He does loads of drills with the wingers too because that's where he played. I think for me and the other wingers I have spoken to we would all say he has a really big impact.