Top Line Summary

  • The squad is in a good place
  • Says he can play for 90 minutes now
  • How he has settled in  since joining
  • James Forrest's influence
  • Focusing on themselves but they check other scores

Everything Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn said to the media ahead of his side's trip to face Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon...

How much are you looking forward to the end of the season? It is tight at the top, isn't it?

We had a good week. We are prepared for the next match. It is going to be exciting.

Is the feeling good around the place given how you won the game last weekend?

Of course. I think it can bring a team even closer together. I hope that's the case. Our focus is on the next match.

On your own personal performances do you feel that you are getting stronger every week with more game time that you are getting?

I think physically I am getting stronger. Now I can last 90 minutes. Before I had some struggles out there after 70 minutes or something. Now I feel much better.

Is that the perfect time to go into such big games come the end of this season? Do you feel that you can make a big contribution over the next six matches?

I hope so. I am definitely better and it makes a big difference for me. I know I can go for 90 minutes and I do not have to hold some power back. I am happy.

How did you enjoy the experience at Hampden last weekend?

Yes, it was really nice. The atmosphere was great. It was good that we got the win at the end. That was the most important thing.

There are high stakes in these games and you will be going back to face Rangers in the Scottish Cup final. Did last weekend give you a taste of it?

Of course, it did. Now we focus on the next match. That is all we did this week and we go from game to game.

What about James Forrest? He came on last week and had a big influence. Has it been good to work with him? He has been at Celtic a long time and knows what it is about and he plays in your position.

James is a great player. I think he had some impact in the games before. He can change a game. His goal was really important for us. It was nice.

You say you are focused on the game coming up. What are you expecting from Dundee?

I think we have to play our game. They are going to stay behind the ball and we have to find the spaces in the back four or five. We are going to do our best to find the solutions.

It was 7-1 the last time you played Dundee. It was quite a good result in your favour, to say the least, but now they are in the top six do you think they will be a different outfit?

I think it is going to be an away game and it is not going to be easy. We can't underestimate any team. We have to focus on ourselves and give everything.

Nicolas, you were involved in a high-pressure game at Hampden on Saturday, and there’s now a lot of pressure over these last few games from now until and the cup final. What’s the message from the manager to you and the group of players to keep you focused during that pressured time?

Already in the weeks before we focused on ourselves and we went from match to match, and we’ve kept doing this. We have to focus on the next match, and that’s all that we can do.

Dundee were mentioned there and they’ve played Rangers recently. How much do you and your teammates watch Rangers? Do you watch Rangers in your free time and have a small eye on what they’re doing?

Of course, I think everyone has seen what happened at the end of the game. As I said before, we try to focus on ourselves and now it’s in our hands. It’s perfect.

You’ve been at big clubs in your career so far. Has that helped you when you’re in this situation when you’ve got to win every game basically? 

Of course, I knew already before that Celtic want to win everything and every game there is. As I said, in the clubs I’ve played at before it’s the same, and it’s helpful. I knew what was coming, and in the beginning, it was a little bit difficult for me with all of the surroundings. Now I’m settled down and I feel good.

How do you handle that pressure yourself? Do you relax away from football or keep focused?

Yeah, I just want to play. I didn’t really change anything. There was a lot of pressure in the beginning, also because I didn’t perform the way I wanted to, but I just kept going and that’s what I always do. I didn’t worry because the performances were always going to come, because I knew what I could do. 

So there was no frustration really at the start in your first few appearances, you just had that mentality that the best is yet to come and you would get there soon? 

Yeah, I think the second game or something was already a goal against Aberdeen and I fully focused on my strengths and getting that strength back and the power to go 90 minutes again. That’s what I have now, so I’m happy.