In need of home improvements
Draw raises more doubts over whether Deila has skills for the job Now win against Ajax is crucial to help repair the damage
AT a stormy, fractious AGM, Celtic’s chief executive Peter Lawwell constructed a protective wall around Ronny Deila. He called him a developer, a builder, a creator of players and teams.
The trouble with builders is their unreliability. They make promises then they don’t show up. In Europe this is a charge thrown at Celtic as well. Where it matters most, Deila’s project has been riddled with defects.
On Saturday, Celtic kept the rain from pouring in with a clean sheet against Kilmarnock. But there was no spark up front. Nothing to build on.
Lacklustre performances in Europe are not unusual. But Deila can usually bank on dominant displays in the SPFL Premiership.
When even the bread and butter of domestic football fails to cover over the cracks, doubts intensify.
The directors who appointed the Norwegian and verbally backed him last week could really use some sign of improvement. Something to justify their faith.
Their own relationship with supporters was storm-damaged by the AGM and the last thing they need are more fans at the door on Thursday night telling them loudly that they appointed a cowboy rather than a builder.
‘We have to win the Ajax game,’ acknowledged Craig Gordon.
‘We’ll look to start quick to win the game. We look to put teams under pressure and get quick goals as we have done at times this season.
‘If we can do that, we give ourselves a good platform to keep them out.
‘We need to start well. Sometimes we tend to start games slowly and it’s then hard for us to lift the pace.
‘If you start at a high tempo, you can carry that forward momentum with you.
‘An early goal also gives you a lift and that’s always what we aim for.’
There was no early goal against Kilmarnock. No high tempo or momentum. Leigh Griffiths almost prodded a Mikael Lustig long ball past Jamie MacDonald, but failed to get enough on it.
There were, in fact, very few chances of any note. Griffiths forced MacDonald to push a free-kick round the post at the start of the second half. Scott Brown smashed one at goal five minutes from time. Dedryck Boyata almost snatched it at the death when he headed Gary Mackay-Steven’s free-kick onto the crossbar.
But the Scottish champions were one-paced and pedestrian, with James Forrest the only player offering a spark of invention.
This was Kilmarnock’s second draw of the season against the Parkhead side and it was rooted in strong, decisive defending. The visitors resisted everything thrown at them, soaking up possession and pressure, before going for it in the last 10 minutes.
Chasing a winner as the home fans grew restless, Deila withdrew a full-back in Emilio Izaguirre for the lesser-spotted Scott Allan — not before time — and went three at the back. Nadir Ciftci was also on the pitch by now and a dogged adherence to 4-2-3-1 had been sacrificed to go 3-5-2.
Against Kilmarnock at home, that would strike most as a risk well worth taking.
But Killie threatened to take advantage when sub Greg Kiltie was only denied by a fine Gordon save eight minutes from time.
Three minutes from the end, Jozo Simunovic, the £3million central defender whose appearances have been curtailed by injury, produced an even bigger last-ditch intervention to deny Kiltie a certain goal.
The Croatian made his debut in a 2-2 draw in Amsterdam and, with quick feet and a calmness about him, he steadies things at the back.
A fit Simunovic at the centre of defence would be a huge boost for Thursday’s return.
‘I think Jozo is a good player and a good signing,’ said Gordon. ‘He’s so quick and you can see that when he gets back in to make some great recovery tackles.
‘It’s a great attribute for a defender. He has got everything and he’s still a young boy.
‘In training, he looks solid. He can be a good player for us.
‘Jozo can effectively replace Virgil van Dijk. You will never get another like Virgil, who could also stick a free-kick in the top corner.
‘He was just a bit of a one-off and a fantastic all-round footballer.
‘But Jozo can take the ball into the next third and play a pass and he’s quick, just as Virgil was for us.
‘He’s strong in the tackle and decent in the air and, over time, he could be a very big player for us.’
Two 0-0 home draws in one season — there was also a stalemate against Hearts — is an unusual occurrence for Celtic.
If there was a positive — and fans struggled to see it — it was the way in which Simunovic and Boyata anchored the defence.
But turning domestic promise into European results has been difficult. No one will get carried away until this Celtic team stop losing two goals a game in Europe.
‘The communication is coming on and I thought we looked a lot more solid against Killie,’ added Gordon. ‘We coped pretty much with everything that was thrown at us.
‘We restricted them to a couple of shots. To cope with Josh Magennis, who is a handful, and earn a clean sheet is one highlight we can take from it.
‘You don’t want to lose goals here or in Europe. Every time we lose a goal, I won’t be happy. We need to stop losing so many to give ourselves a chance.
‘Ajax have a different way of playing. They will get on the ball and will try to keep it, while Killie went back to front.
‘Whoever we play against, we have to come up with a formula to counter-act their style of play.
‘We want to play in different competitions and no matter who you play in Europe, it’s different. It’s not new and we have to come up with a plan to win.’