THE BITTER END Deila makes a call for unity as fans vent fury at board
RONNY DEILA has called for unity at Celtic after supporters directed their anger at the Parkhead board during yesterday’s dismal home draw with Ross County.
The Green Brigade ultras unveiled banners railing against major shareholder Dermot Desmond and chief executive Peter Lawwell before staging a silent protest for the duration of the 90 minutes.
Boos and catcalls rang out around Celtic Park after the final whistle, despite an insipid 1-1 draw still providing an opportunity for the champions to retain their title if they can defeat Hearts at Tynecastle this coming Saturday.
However, after confirming that Lawwell had paid a visit to the dressing room after the match, outgoing boss Deila called on supporters to put their anger to one side until the league is won.
‘I didn’t see them,’ said the Norwegian, when
asked what he thought about the Green Brigade banners on display. ‘As I said before, this club is a special place. There are enormous demands here. ‘To be a team which has been in European finals and then see the way it is now, it’s a different time. ‘There are always going to be disagreements. But it is important when we play games that we stay together. But I understand there are different opinions about things.’ Asked if the club needs more than just a change of manager in the summer, Deila shrugged: ‘The fans have to answer that. I don’t know what they are thinking. A lot of them have been here for 40 years. I have been here for two. So I’m not the right person to talk about that. ‘There has been a lot of success and a lot of history at this club. So there are a lot of things the people are talking about. ‘But the most important thing is to end the season well, to get over the line and to make it five in a row for the club. That hasn’t happened so many times in history. ‘There are a lot of other teams who haven’t won it for a long, long while. There is the opportunity to get into the Champions League next year.’ Asked why Lawwell came to the dressing room, Deila (right) dismissed speculation that he might now be leaving his role as manager before the end of the season, as originally planned. ‘He spoke to me, not the players. But we talk together all the time. It’s nothing new,’ claimed Deila. ‘It’s not like I’m going to quit tomorrow. I’m going to stay here until the end of the season and do everything to get over the line and perform better than we did today.’ Leigh Griffiths opened the scoring for Celtic in the first half before County, chasing fourth place in the Premiership, blew a raft of chances to win the match before and after Stewart Murdoch’s 64thminute leveller. Claiming the turmoil of the last week has had an impact on players, Deila admitted that the near funereal silence during yesterday’s game impacted on the performance of his team. ‘It’s not helping, I can assure you of that,’ he added. ‘You can see it in some of the confidence of the boys. ‘But these are just the circumstances right now and I understand the fans. ‘A lot happened this week. It’s about more than just what is happening on the park. ‘It’s not easy to play under, but it’s something we have to deal with. ‘There have been a lot of other things beyond football this week and, of course, that affected the players a little bit.’ Meanwhile, Steve Clarke has admitted that he would be interested in talking to Celtic as they seek a replacement for Deila. Clarke, who managed West Brom and Reading, and also served as the right-hand man to both Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool and also Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, said: ‘There are a lot of good managers out of work and Celtic are a great club. If they want to give me a call, that would be nice.’ The 52-year-old, who was sacked as Reading boss last December, added: ‘Next season will be fantastic in Scotland’s top flight. Rangers are back, while Aberdeen and Hearts are also strong. It should be an exciting league next year.’