Celtic Captain McGregor Admits Negativity Is Impacting Dressing Room Amid Title Race
Celtic captain Callum McGregor has openly acknowledged that the pervasive air of negativity surrounding the club this season is now significantly impacting the dressing room. This admission comes in the wake of a damaging 2-1 home defeat to Hibernian, a result that leaves manager Martin O’Neill’s side six points behind league leaders Hearts and two points adrift of Rangers, albeit with a game in hand.
Title Hopes Diminishing Amid Fan Unrest
Having already suffered seven defeats in the Scottish Premiership this campaign, Celtic’s prospects of retaining the title they have held for the past four seasons are rapidly diminishing. The weekend’s loss was accompanied by further anti-board chants from disaffected supporters, continuing a trend of unrest that has stretched back to the start of the season.
This follows incidents such as tennis balls being thrown onto the pitch before the European tie against Stuttgart. With the Green Brigade fan group still suspended and no apparent breakthrough in talks between interim chairman Brian Wilson and various supporters’ groups, there seems to be no immediate end in sight to the internal discord.
McGregor’s Candid Assessment of the Club’s Atmosphere
When questioned on whether the external noise and criticism were now negatively affecting the squad, skipper McGregor offered a frank response. ‘I think it’s having an impact on the whole club, if I’m honest,’ he stated. ‘So, us as players, we have to try and salvage what is there, harness it, get the most out of it and get the most out of each other.’
McGregor emphasised the players’ commitment, noting, ‘And the players, it’s their life as well. They’re trying ever so hard, they’re working ever so hard.’ He revealed his pre-match message to the team, saying, ‘I said to them before the game, we have to give everyone something to get off their chairs about.’
The captain reiterated his belief that on-field success is the key to restoring harmony. ‘I said it at the start of the season, performances and wins will bring harmony back. And that’s the job of the players. Obviously, everything else we can’t control. But the bit that we can control is trying as hard as you can, trying to play good football and trying to win football matches.’
A Daunting Run-In and Mounting Pressure
With just 11 league games remaining to overtake both Rangers and Hearts, Celtic face a challenging schedule. After visiting Stuttgart in European competition, O’Neill’s side must navigate a series of taxing Premiership fixtures, including difficult trips to Ibrox and Pittodrie, while also hosting in-form Motherwell at Parkhead.
McGregor conceded that the inconsistent Celtic side can scarcely afford any further missteps. ‘The league is competitive,’ he added. ‘The top four, five, six teams are all good teams. We’ve put ourselves under pressure to win some big games that normally you can afford draws here and there. But I think now we have to pretty much win every game.’
He called for unity, stating, ‘There will be twists and turns, so the one thing for sure is that we have to stick together. I know there’ll be a lot of anger and disappointment, but we’re a long way from home. So, we have to keep going, we have to keep fighting and we will do that.’
VAR Controversy and Defensive Sentiment
Celtic’s hopes against Hibs were further hampered by the sending off of defender Auston Trusty, who was dismissed via VAR intervention for striking out at Jamie McGrath during a stoppage. While manager O’Neill appeared to accept the decision, captain McGregor expressed strong disagreement.
‘By the way that’s not me in any way putting the blame on Auston at all. I actually think it’s the other way,’ McGregor insisted. ‘I think this happens every single free kick, corner kick, in every single game of football that we watch. So, to send him off for that, we may as well all go up the road and stop playing football if that’s going to be a red card every single week.’
Remaining Defiant in the Title Chase
Despite the setbacks, McGregor remains defiant about Celtic’s championship aspirations. ‘By far, we’re not out of the title race at all,’ he asserted. ‘We’ve put ourselves under pressure, we need to win some big games that are coming up. But that’s not beyond us, we’ve been doing that all season, and we’ve been doing it for the last few years. So, we have that experience in the bank.’
He concluded with a note of caution, emphasising the need for improved performances. ‘The one thing I will say is we have to make the game easier for ourselves because you can’t keep chasing the game. Because then you’re relying on miracles at the end of games all the time.’
The title race saw further drama as Hearts defeated Falkirk to return as bookmakers’ favourites, capitalising on Celtic’s loss and Rangers dropping points at Livingston. McGregor acknowledged the competitive nature of the run-in, noting, ‘I think Hearts will be saying the same. They’ll be thinking we need to win every game as well.’
