Former Hoops star, Kris Commons, has fired a title warning to underperforming Celtic players after watching his old team limp to a 2-0 defeat against Rangers at the weekend.
Writing in his Daily Mail column, and reported by The Scottish Sun, Commons feels that the players have to take responsibility if they are to remain title contenders and keep hopes of 10-in-a-row alive.
So what has Commons said?
When reflecting on one of the worst derby displays for years, he said:
“It was just so easy. There was nobody running in behind the back four to stretch them. No one coming to feet to show, no one looking to take the ball on the half turn and make defence-splitting passes.
“Fans or no fans, as a Celtic player, you’ve got to look at that Rangers shirt and feel something stir inside you. Yet, I’ve rarely seen either team win a derby so easily.
“Rangers’ game-management was superb. They were just so comfortable.
“Celtic looked beaten even before they kicked a ball. When it did start, they did things that must have frustrated the life out of Neil Lennon – players just shelling the ball out of play under no pressure.
“Rangers are now in a much better place psychologically. In terms of the title race, on the basis of the last three Old Firm games, I’d now make them slight favourites. Celtic have to do something beyond winning the matches you’d expect them to.
“They badly have to generate some kind of momentum.”
So is Commons correct?
He has hit the nail on the head that the manner of the defeat is probably more worrying that the actual result, no shots on target, and Allan McGregor won’t have had an easier game against Celtic.
Will Celtic still win 10IAR?
Yes
No
Several players were given a chance to prove that they have what it takes to command a regular starting place and the likes of Patryk Klimala and Moi Elyounoussi have only made the hearts grow fonder for those that were absent.
It was a bad day at the office for both the management team and the players but they have to learn from the mistakes because there have been too many this season, because if they don’t, they could regret it for the rest of their careers.