GRIFFITHS RAPS FAN PROTESTS
LEIGH GRIFFITHS has described the protests from Celtic fans outside Molde’s Aker Stadium as ‘over the top’. Clearly angry at watching their side’s dire performance in the 3-1 defeat to the Norwegian side, a band of supporters noisily barracked players and management as they boarded the team bus. But Griffiths said: ‘I don’t think it was the best of times to do it, especially with how close they were from the bus to the ground. I think some of the criticism they gave us was a bit over the top. ‘Just the way they were shouting at the boys. We were already hurting about being beaten.’
LEIGH GRIFFITHS has hit back at a group of Celtic fans for the ‘over the top’ flak directed at both players and management in the aftermath of their Europa League defeat in Molde.
A band of travelling supporters gathered outside the exit to the Aker Stadium on Thursday night to vent their fury as Ronny Deila’s squad made their way on to the team coach.
Griffiths accepts that no one in the Celtic side ‘deserved pass marks’ in sliding to a 3-1 loss that left them bottom of Group A.
But the 25- year- old striker believes some of the angry jibes hurled in their direction were excessive.
Asked if he could understand the frustration of fans, Griffiths said: ‘ We can. They have paid good money to come and watch us play and watch us perform and we didn’t do that, so t hey have got to express their frustration.
‘But I don’t think it was the best of times to do it, especially with how close they were from the bus to the ground.
‘I think some of the criticism they gave us was a bit over the top. Just the way they were shouting at the boys.
‘The boys were already hurting after losing, we don’t need fans shouting and bawling at us from two or three yards away. That doesn’t make it any easier for us.
‘I didn’t speak to any of them. I had my headphones on. We got told there were fans outside giving a bit to us, so I put my headphones on and went outside.
‘But when you are on the bus, you can hear what the fans are saying and I think the stick that the manager got was a bit unfair.’
Deila i s under i ncreasing pressure to deliver in Europe after this latest setback.
Having f ailed to reach the Champions League for the second successive season, Celtic now face a fight to reach the knockout stage of the secondary competition. Quizzed on whether the players still believed in Deila, Griffiths replied: ‘Of course, it is just one bad result.
‘ If we go and beat Dundee United, people will be talking about how well we performed. It’s all about the next game.
‘United will be looking at last night’s game and thinking they can beat us at Parkhead, but we want to get revenge and they present a good opportunity for us.’
The only way to atone for what unfolded in Molde would be for Deila’s side to win the rematch in Glasgow on November 5.
Last season, Celtic qualified for the last 32 of the Europa League. This time around, they have recorded only two points from their opening three group games.
‘I wouldn’t say we’ve gone backwards,’ argued Griffiths (left). ‘If you look at the two groups, this year to last year, this one is a lot harder than last year’s.
‘We have still got a chance to go through although it is going to be hard for us. We have got to try to win our next two games then, hopefully, go to Fenerbahce and get something.’ Right-back Mikael Lustig struck a slightly different note when he addressed the fierce criticism directed towards the players.
‘I can understand where they’re coming from,’ said Lustig. ‘They travelled to Molde, stood in the s**** y weather, paid a l ot of money, and they come and see a s**t game like that.
‘It is football, there are a lot of emotions and sometimes you say things or do things you might regret tomorrow. It is the same for the fans as well. We love our fans and they love us, so we are going to get stronger together.
‘I have been here for four years now and when we are not winning games it is going to get a little bit stormy. Of course we are not happy with where we are now.
‘But we are still working every day to try to get better. That is what we need to do.’