Leigh Griffiths has warned future Celtic signings that they must be able to handle the pressure of wearing the hoops.
After a month out of action the former Hibs striker came off the bench to score an 89th minute winner to defeat Partick Thistle and end a two match win-less run.
Celtic rarely looked like scoring with the visitors winning the corner count by 10-4. Alan Archibald’s side drew 0-0 in midweek at Aberdeen but were denied a point when Griffiths pounced to find the net after an effort from Kris Commons fell his way.
After scoring Griffiths admitted: “If you can’t play with pressure from the home fans you shouldn’t be at a club like this.
“If it was 5-0 or 1-0 as long as we get three points and stay top of the league that’s all that matters.”
LG: “If you can’t play with pressure from the home fans you shouldn’t be at a club like this.”
— Celtic Football Club (@celticfc) January 2, 2016
The win lifts Celtic three points clear of Aberdeen, with a game in hand, with Derek McInnes’ side facing St Johnstone tomorrow.
Griffiths was a half time replacement for Nadir Ciftci with Deila pleased to have his top scorer back in action.
“When Leigh came on we were the more dangerous,” the Celtic boss said. “He went behind them and in the end got the chance we needed to win the game.”
Celtic were reduced down to ten men in the 70th minute when Nir Bitton was sent off- his second red card of the season.
Next Sunday Celtic switch their attention to the Scottish Cup and a trip to Stranraer who beat Ayr Utd 1-0 at home today.
WE ARE LEAVING IT TOO LATE TO GET RID OF THIS CLOWN!
HOW MUCH MORE OBVIOUS DOES IT HAVE TO BE?
Three point`s is three points but hard to watch. Where is this fast flowing football we were promised? I see little evidence of it. Why does Johanson get in the team? I pay good money to get there and this man has done nothing except think he is a prima-donna and is shocking. Why did it take a man to get sent off (unfairly) before they started to play. Is there something there that the team do not want to play for the manager? Something is not right but what.???
Bitton was NOT unfairly sent off. It was fully deserved. Take the green blinkers off Hugh. The first yellow card was a warning which he was stupid enough not to heed.
However, Deila does not have an alternative to his main plan. One striker is not the way forward. You can see the negativity growing every week as we play backwards and teams realise that we only play one way with the same tactic every week. They know how to combat this now.
Ronny Deila was a very lucky man today with Griffiths saving him blushes at the end. Thistle did not deserve to be beaten and dealt with the Hoops well throughout the game. Indeed, near the end of the game, they were very unlucky not to take the lead before Leigh scored. If they had, I feel sure Celtic would have lost. Deila is taking us backward, not forward (in more ways than one).
I feel you are correct, however, when you say something is not right. I would suggest that 4 things are not right – Deila, Collins and Kennedy and the Board’s continual confidence in them. I wish the fans would not get on the players backs during the game, however. The time for criticism is after the game. Something of their ire will now be directed towards the management team now, I feel sure. They appear clueless.
I agree, Bitton fully deserved his red card. In fact, on a yellow, just a minute prior he had committed another hard foul. That was the lights & sirens warning sign he needed to be substituted before he was sent off. A glaring warning sign our management team singularly failed to notice.
The guy is a clown he is so far out his depth it’s unreal how are we meant to put up with his brand of football it’s plain shocking just piss off you clueless twat you are making us a laughing stock GO NOW !!!!!!!!!??
Just back from the game. Another poor poor performance. It’s getting hard to watch Ronnie. The players are not playing for you. I don’t see the high tempo pressing football he promised. A half decent mob will hammer us. I think it’s time for lawell to change it soon as a lot of fans are very pissed off.
The team needs a major overhaul. Where we are today is 5 years in the making as a result of poor decision making by the board. Any side we play dominates matches because the players are second rate and the tactics are pie in the sky.
Agree with all the comments above, I have had enough of this boss.
Game was dire, Thistle played better football, James Forrest actually made a difference when he came on which can only mean one thing…he starts from the bench next week.
This boss is clueless, out of his depth and seems to think the sun shines out of Johansson’s a*#e.
If you listened to the boss comments after the game he stated “Glad to see Johannson play so well and continue to recapture his form from last year”. What the hell is he on? What game did he see?
It would have been much more refreshing if he would come out and say exactly what the 40,000 fans saw, “a poor performance, no players could come off that pitch and be satisfied with that performance but we managed to get 3 points”.
That late goal and Aberdeen’s inability to take advantage of how badly we are as a team is keeping this boss in a job.
The board need to act soon, they must see the fans are becoming more disheartened, more empty seats, more fans stating that they wont be back next season with this guy in charge and a team on the park that is not performing to a good standard.
I am not a Celtic fan who says “Blame Lawwell or blame the Board, they haven’t backed the manager”, Deila has had sufficient backing and what has he brought to the club? Dross. Even Simunovic is looking week by week another poor signing.
I will though be a Celtic fan who will blame the board if we have Deila going into next season and European qualification. I dread to think the standard of football we shall be watching then.
Anyone have a link to the petition?
HH
Indeed, it really makes me wonder what gets said in the dressing room at the half. Do Collins and Kennedy hand out orange slices and gold stars for effort while Ronnie tells them how wonderful they are, when what they really need is the hair dryer treatment?
ma nephew was at game told me if he not on wishaw emerald supporters bus would have walked home was that bad ? time to get rid ? Ronny just go HH