We never stop

 

We never stop

Watching Celtic falter to another predictable exit from European football in the Norwegian arctic was strangely not as depressing as it might have been. The team looked disinterested and sluggish in the first half against a well drilled and fast-moving team. Perhaps it was the first leg deficit and the fact that the likelihood of Celtic turning it around was slim. More likely it was the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine which puts sport into its proper context.  Few things please me more than Celtic doing well but it all pales into insignificance when we watch the suffering of others.

It has long been a mystery to supporters that teams with a fraction of the resources Celtic has at its disposal, can develop sides which regularly give the hoops real trouble in Europe.  Bodo Glimt play in a town with a population smaller than Paisley or Cumbernauld and yet their coaching and youth system seems to be very successful. The team plays to an average crowd of under 4000 and has won the Norwegian league for the past two seasons. Their style of play, play acting apart, is attractive to watch and not dissimilar to the style Ange Postecoglou is looking to develop at Celtic.

Developing a pattern of play which is instilled into every level of the club - from youth players to the first team, takes time and the early signs are promising at Celtic Park. Few of us expected a club in transition to be challenging for the title this season, especially after the club dragged its heels for over a hundred days waiting for Eddie Howe to make up his mind. Ange has brought in virtually a whole team and in football, that changing of the guard is seldom smooth. His ‘we never stop’ mantra has seen Celtic overcome a sticky start to the league campaign, in which the first three away games were lost and Celtic sat sixth in the table, to now sit three points clear at the top with eleven matches remaining.

Celtic fans are no fools, they know the results in Europe and recent stuttering form in matches against Raith Rovers and Dundee mean that nothing can be taken for granted. They would also have watched Rangers knocking Dortmund out of Europe and know the boost this will have given them although remaining in Europe will also put added demands on their squad as the domestic season reaches its climax. Celtic now begin the most telling part of their season at Easter Road on Sunday. How this new side reacts to the pressures of ‘must win’ games every week remains to be seen but we can be confident that Ange will prepare them well and give them the belief and organisation required. European football is over for this season and those ties with Bodo Glimt must not affect the team’s confidence at this vital stage of the season. Celtic has won over a dozen games this season by one goal and while that shows real fighting spirit, it also demonstrates the fine margins involved in putting in a real title challenge. The upcoming matches are going to test the team’s title credentials to the maximum and they need to turn up at Easter Road, Livingston and Ibrox and demonstrate that they are up for the fight. Livingston have proved a tough nut to crack for Celtic in recent times and the hoops have spilled four points to the West Lothian club in two games this season. That needs to be addressed before any mental block develops there. They must also ensure that there are no slip ups in home matches to the so called, lesser sides, in the SPFL. The two derby matches left on the fixture list will also be pivotal. Celtic’s comfortable victory over Rangers in the early days of February will give the team a lot of belief.

The support remains solidly behind Ange Postecoglou and can see the progress the side has made. Few of us expected that his side would be in such a challenging position a mere eight months after he took over but as we reach the business end of the season, the club is in with a fighting chance of pulling off a remarkable turnaround. We need total focus now. The team needs to fight for every point and the supporters need to back them every step of the way. No silly squabbles with the board over flares, no empty zones in the stadium, just a club and their fans united in a common purpose; to put Celtic back where they belong- at the pinnacle of Scottish football.

The future starts today, be relentless Celtic and never stop.