HOW DID IT COME TO THIS?

LEIGH GRIFFITHS was safely tucked up at home as his team-mates ran a gauntlet of anger after Celtic’s Betfred Cup defeat to Ross County at Parkhead last weekend. The wonders of social media meant the striker was able to watch, almost in real time, the disturbing footage of a growing mob facing off against a police line as a convoy of players’ vehicles were escorted away from the stadium.

Griffiths has some sympathy with those supporters who, denied their normal matchday voice due to Covid, felt the need to protest.

Equally, he admits the sight of missiles being thrown and news of police injuries amidst disorder that clearly breached social-distancing protocols went beyond the bounds of acceptable conduct.

Manager Neil Lennon and the club’s board of directors were the main targets but, ordered into a hasty exit, the players were left shaken by the reaction.

To ward off a repeat, barriers have been erected around the stadium’s main entrance ahead of today’s game with St Johnstone but Griffiths would plead with any fans considering a repeat.

He said: ‘I was back home but I saw it. Listen, the fans pay good money to either watch us on TV or come to the stadium and they are allowed to vent their opinion.

‘But there are certain ways to go about it. It was disappointing to see because the boys have been working hard. The run we have been on has not been favouring us. We didn’t get through to the next round of the cup and that was disappointing.

‘But you don’t want to see players getting a police escort from the stadium.’

Back in full training following the knee niggle that forced him to miss Celtic’s last three fixtures, Griffiths hopes to play a part against Saints today.

On a personal level, he admits to some regret that the fans who backed him during his personal battle against depression and injury haven’t been around to help pull the team out of its current malaise.

However, he asked them to trust in their abilities to turn the tide and pointed to the opening in the Europa League game against AC Milan on Thursday night as a sign that the team’s old potency can still come to the fore.

‘We are missing the fans in the stadium, there’s no doubt about it,’

‘You don’t want to see players getting a police escort from the stadium. Fans are allowed to vent their opinion but there are ways to go about it’ LEIGH GRIFFITHS

he continued. ‘But we need to take it as it comes. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, we can get them all back in there, supporting the team. For now, we need to make the results turn for us and that can kick us into a winning run.

‘The signs are there that we will click, 100 per cent. You saw it in the first 15 minutes against AC Milan when we went 2-0 up and had chances to score three and four.

‘It’s there. It’s just that little bit of luck we need. Maybe the winning goal will come from a deflection or an own goal.’

Or perhaps from an inspired substitution.

It was to Griffiths who Lennon turned when a sticky Premiership match was drifting towards a goalless draw in Perth in October.

The striker marked his first appearance of the season by heading home the game’s breakthrough goal in stoppage-time.

Yet the truth is that Griffiths has not been fit and available when his manager has needed him most.

He acknowledges the debt he owes Lennon, who not only first brought him to the club in a £1million transfer from Wolves in 2014, but who backed him through his mental and physical issues over the past couple of seasons.

‘Oh, definitely,’ said Griffiths. ‘The pressure not just him but the whole team, the whole squad, has been under has been big.

‘You can’t play at Celtic if you can’t handle pressure. We are in a bad run of form but it needs only one result to change that.

‘Hopefully, that starts against St Johnstone. I’m hoping I’m not needed and we are in a comfortable position by then. But if required, I will be chomping at the bit to get on and help the team get three points.

‘St Johnstone will come here and make it tough, though, just like Ross County did.’

Griffiths admits to feeling anxious watching the side lose three consecutive games to Sparta Prague, County and Milan.

On the back of the celebratory feeling of being part of the Scotland squad that qualified for Euro 2020, the knee injury sustained after an encouraging cameo at Hibs last month felt like a sucker punch.

‘I was just getting into a good rhythm and getting minutes on the pitch,’ he explained. ‘It happened in training on the Monday morning after the Hibs game. It just felt a bit sore and, by the Wednesday, I couldn’t train. I had to go for a scan on it but luckily it came back clear.

‘These little niggly injuries are so frustrating, especially now when I haven’t been able to help the team.

‘Hopefully I can get a good run of games between now and the New Year.

‘I’ve been training the last few days while the boys were in Milan. Before the injury, I was in a good place, training well every day and my fitness was coming back to maximum.

‘I’m hoping that I’ m not faraway from that. If the gaffer calls upon me, I’ll be ready to go.

‘If I was starting games, it would be an ideal opportunity to gain a lot more fitness.

‘But it’s up to the manager, who he decides to pick and if he decides to pick me, I’m raring to go.’

Lennon has spent the past few weeks pulling out every trick in his managerial armoury to try to arrest Celtic’s decline.

Unsurprisingly, he has fallen back on his strongest suit — the personal connection with his players.

A one-to-one chat with Jeremie Frimpong prior to the Milan match seemed to galvanise the young Dutch-born wing-back.

‘I don’t want the gaffer to come looking for me because normally that means I’m in trouble,’ joked Griffiths.

‘If he wants to have a chat with everybody and see how they are doing then great, I’ve no problems with that.

‘He sat down with Jeremie and look how well he played against Milan in the San Siro.

‘Hopefully, he can stay on top of the game because he is a big asset for us.’

Lennon has offered up Covid and the social-distancing protocols that have robbed his players of their normal team bonding

New signings such as Albian Ajeti and Shane Duffy have struggled and fallen out of favour, while goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas looks no more secure and could face another spell on the sidelines, with Scott Bain again taking his place.

Having tried both his senior goalkeepers to no avail, there may now be a temptation for Lennon to turn to 22-year-old Conor Hazard.

‘Vasilis has come to a different environment and Covid has not helped but he is good around the place, he is very vocal and it’s up to him to now keep a hold of the No1 jersey,’ added Griffiths.

‘You see the quality he has in training. The same with Bainy and young Conor.

‘We have three good goalies here and they are all vying for that one jersey.’