Deila vows to fight off Dons’ title challenge
RONNY DEILA last night endorsed Aberdeen’s credentials as title challengers — and pledged to fight Derek McInnes’s side all the way for Premiership honours.
The Norwegian was left licking his wounds following yesterday’s 2-1 defeat in the north east, a result that saw the home team claim a late winner after being reduced to 10 men.
The Dons pushed Celtic last season, but ended up a full 17 points adrift by the time the league campaign had been completed.
Following yesterday’s result, however, Deila conceded the Pittodrie side look an improved proposition compared to last term.
‘Last year, Aberdeen were number two so, of course, they’re a good team,’ said Deila. ‘They will be fighting for the title this season but there is a long way to go. We’ll fight to the end to win this league.’
Deila admitted he will need to address the lazy streak that has emerged in his side this season, especially when defending set-pieces.
Having had that failing exploited by Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers, the deadline day sale of Virgil van Dijk to Southampton has further affected Celtic’s ability to defend high balls into the penalty box — a weakness Aberdeen sought to capitalise on throughout yesterday’s match.
The ploy paid off four minutes from time when Niall McGinn’s free-kick found Paul Quinn unmarked in the six-yard box and Deila admitted his normally-reliable keeper Craig Gordon should shoulder some of the blame.
‘We conceded too easily from a set-piece. When Craig sees that, he will say he should have come for it.
‘But also, we have three players in the centre of the goal. The ball was high, so we should have controlled it better.’
Celtic took the lead through Leigh Griffiths’ penalty, with Aberdeen equalising from the same spot after Dedryck Boyata was adjudged to have fouled Graeme Shinnie. Deila questioned whether that award had been correct.
He added: ‘It was a very cheap one, for me.’
ACCORDING to Frank de Boer, Thursday’s Europa League tie between Ajax and Celtic will serve as the opening salvo in a battle for the second of Group A’s qualification spots behind Fenerbahce.
Celtic boss Ronny Deila understands the logic of his counterpart but disputes it nonetheless.
The Turkish club have spent a fortune on squad refurbishment this summer — most notably through the acquisitions of Robin van Persie and Nani from Manchester United — and, as they prepare to welcome Molde on match night one, are clear favourites.
However, as Deila points out, Fenerbahce’s newlyappointed Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira will need time to mould his team into a cohesive unit.
As he prepares to take Celtic to Amsterdam, the Norwegian insists de Boer shouldn’t make presumptions about how the group will pan out.
‘That’s a good assessment but money is not everything,’ said Deila. ‘Of course we can beat Fenerbahce. They have brought in top-class players and are a strong team but they have to put that team together and we are going to give them a fight, that’s what we want.’
Like Celtic, Ajax are not in the business of expensive signings.
Instead there is a commitment to rearing homegrown talent like captain Davy Klaasen and goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen — both full Dutch internationalists — while signing young foreign talent like Poland’s Arkadiusz Milik, with a view to selling at a profit.
‘Ajax are a very young team,’ says Deila. ‘They have a very clear style of play. With Ajax, you look at the individuals rather than the style of play because you know what you are going to meet. It’s a team that want to keep the ball and move it from side to side and play offensive football.
‘We’ll have to defend well but we know we are going to get our chances as well. We’ll do everything to hurt them.
‘They have the same demands as here in Celtic. They want to win games and get back on track and show they are good enough to be in Europe and maybe in the Champions League. It’s going to be a very tough game but I am confident we can get something from Amsterdam.’