NafisaFor Celtic, the timing could hardly have been more uncomfortable.
The 3-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox had already raised serious questions about Martin O’Neill’s side, with the manner of the performance leaving supporters desperate for an immediate response.
Instead, Thursday night brought another damaging result.
Celtic suffered a 3-1 defeat to Ferencvaros at Parkhead in their Europa League opener, leaving O’Neill facing another difficult evening just days before his team welcome Rangers for another Old Firm encounter.
The manager himself described the European defeat as another lesson for his players, while the result inevitably intensified the scrutiny surrounding a Celtic side that had already been heavily criticised following the collapse against their biggest rivals.
Yet inside the Celtic dressing room, there appears to be little appetite for accepting the idea that the club is in crisis.
And it was Liam Scales who made that particularly clear.
The Irish defender was asked directly about the suggestion that Celtic are now facing a crisis following the latest defeat.
His response was remarkably simple.
“No.”
Scales then expanded on his answer, insisting that the result against Ferencvaros did not tell the full story of Celtic’s performance.
“No crisis. We did really well to get back in the game.
“I felt like we were decent in the first half.
“Obviously, to concede the second just before half-time, and the third right after half-time, it sort of killed the game.”
That timing proved crucial.
Celtic had managed to get themselves back into the contest, but conceding immediately before the interval and then again shortly after the restart left them with a mountain to climb.
For Scales, the defeat was less about a fundamental collapse within the team and more about the punishment that comes with making mistakes at European level.
And, importantly, he did not attempt to distance himself from the criticism.
Scales accepts Celtic’s individual errors
The defender acknowledged that Celtic’s mistakes played a major part in the defeat and admitted that he himself was among those responsible.
“That’s individual errors, myself included.
“That’s how European football is. You get punished.
“If you don’t take your own chances, you’re not going to win games.
“I think it was the timing of the goals that really killed us off.”
It is a significant admission from one of Celtic’s senior defenders.
Rather than attempting to shift responsibility elsewhere, Scales accepted that Celtic had made mistakes and paid the price for them.
But his comments also offered a clear indication of how he believes the current situation should be viewed.
For all the noise surrounding Celtic following consecutive defeats, Scales does not believe the squad should become consumed by what is being said outside the training ground.
And that is where Sunday’s Old Firm derby suddenly becomes even more important.
Scales makes Rangers prediction clear
Celtic now have an opportunity to change the conversation almost immediately.
Another defeat to Rangers would inevitably bring even more scrutiny after the 3-0 loss at Ibrox and the subsequent European disappointment.
But Scales believes the opposite could happen if Celtic respond in the manner required.
“I definitely think a positive result on Sunday completely changes the narrative around the place.”
It is a simple point, but one that underlines the importance of the next 90 minutes.
Football can change quickly, particularly at a club where expectations are as high as they are at Celtic.
Scales is now in his fourth season as a Celtic regular and has experienced first-hand just how rapidly the atmosphere surrounding the club can change depending on results.
Rather than becoming distracted by the mounting discussion around O’Neill’s team, he wants Celtic’s players to concentrate on what happens once the match begins.
“I just think we need to focus on ourselves and what we can do on the pitch rather than the noise and all the talk before the game. It just has to come down to what we do between the white lines. We need to be better in that sense.”
That message could prove particularly important given the pressure surrounding Sunday’s meeting.
Celtic know exactly what happened the last time these two sides met.
Rangers dominated the second half at Ibrox and eventually ran out 3-0 winners, leaving Celtic with very little to celebrate.
Seven days later, the same fixture provides the chance to respond.
Celtic’s new signings also come under scrutiny
Another issue that has emerged during Celtic’s difficult start is the integration of their new players.
O’Neill himself has spoken about still working out his strongest combination and some new arrivals adapting to what is expected of them at Celtic.
Scales, however, remains confident that the players arriving at the club understand the magnitude of the challenge.
For him, the next step is consistency.
“It’s a matter of getting used to the demands every week.
“I do feel like they know how big the club is and how much every game means to the fans.
“It’s just about getting the consistency and showing up every single week and doing our best as a team.”
That final point perhaps sums up Celtic’s immediate challenge better than anything else.
There is little value in debating the noise surrounding the club if the performances on the pitch do not improve.
Celtic have lost their last two major games, first suffering a 3-0 defeat to Rangers before falling 3-1 to Ferencvaros.
But Sunday gives them the opportunity to change that sequence.
Scales clearly believes one result could dramatically alter the mood around Celtic.
The question now is whether the players can produce the performance required to make his words count.
Because after everything that has happened over the past week, another Old Firm defeat would leave Celtic facing questions that are considerably harder to dismiss.
Nafisa
