How does Ronny Deila follow up his frightened and scared quote?
By 5pm on Saturday his relationship with the dressing room will be clearer as the real fall out of failing to reach the Champions League emerges. Three days later the transfer window closes.
Footballers are fragile creatures, hearing your manager say that you looked frightened and scared doesn’t sit easily with their ego. Asked about that comment Kris Commons naturally denied those sentiments, confirming Deila’s views would be difficult for any player to handle, at every media conference players will be asked for their views on that quote.
Deila will be expected to provide more substance to his opinion, moving on and looking forward to the Europa League draw won’t wash at a club geared towards playing in the Champions League.
The 2015 Champions League may be brutal and unforgiving but Celtic fans expect their side to be there. We don’t want to be looking at how Malmo get on and try to second guess how Celtic would have fared.
On Tuesday night the vast bulk of the team was made up of players that Deila inherited, a couple of them will be aware of interest, and salary hikes, from England.
Losing the dressing room is a lazy explanation to cover various set-backs and defeats. The suspicions and insecurities of players will be irked by the frightened and scared comments.
Honesty should never be discouraged but that quote would have been best kept private or shared with the players involved.
Deila faces the task of turning to that same group of players, or those he judged not good enough for the biggest game of the season, to produce a winning run domestically and progress in the Europa League without the dramas that have accompanied the club in recent European ties.
At the same time he has two battles to tackle before the transfer window closes. Retaining Virgil van Dijk appears to a lost cause, the sale of any other first choice players would be damaging.
Without the attraction of the Champions League recruitment becomes much more difficult. No ‘treasure chest’ is available with the combination of SPFL and Europa League something that most players can resist.
Retaining the confidence of the players that he currently has and adding quality over the next couple of days looks like a tall order.
A year ago Deila was given the benefit of the doubt after losing out to Maribor for a Champions League place.
Twelve months on he is being assessed far more critically by supporters, the reaction of those deemed frightened and scared will decide his future.