Hoops agree to ease Sky ban
Celtic have decided to re- engage with Sky Sports for today’ s showdown at Aberdeen.
But the Parkhead club are still pursuing concerns over the controversial Alfredo Morelos interview which brought their initial decision to cease co-operation with the broadcasters.
Sky wrongly translated Morelos and reported that the Rangers striker had accused Hoops fans of racially abusing him. The station had to make a public apology to the Old Firm clubs and the player.
Celtic banned Sky in the past week but, after talks, have taken a decision to ease their stance ahead of the Premiership match this lunchtime at Pittodrie.
MailSport understands the situation is not fully resolved and that there are still concerns from within Parkhead over the handling of the Morelos interview.
However, it is believed Hoops chiefs will wait for the findings of an Ofcom investigation before further assessing their position.
Scott McKenna sat in the Pittodrie dressing room and feared the worst.
The Dons were four goals down to Celtic at half-time and all he had in his head was the horror show he’d watched 36 hours earlier.
Southampton 0 Leicester 9. A repeat was unthinkable but the Aberdeen defender was thinking it.
That’s how powerless he felt trying to stop the onslaught.
And why, come lunchtime today, he’s more determined than ever to prove Derek McInnes’ side have the resi l ience to stop the seemingly unstoppable.
Celtic have scored 27 goals in eight wins since the winter break, 11 of them from on-fire frontmen Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths.
Edouard scored the opener that day last October and a hail of goals followed from Jeremie Frimpong, James Forrest and Moi Elyounoussi.
It doesn’t matter that Dons managed to put up the shutters in the second half – it was damage limitation and a 4- 0 defeat hurt deeply.
The 23-year- old Scotland stopper said: “Celtic have guys who can hurt you – but we have a point to prove after the last time they came to Pittodrie and won 4- 0.
“Everything went wrong. We were far too passive and d id n’ t show enou g h aggression or intent to get on the ball and look after it.
“We let Celtic do whatever they wanted that day.
“Sitting at half- time it felt pretty low, looking about, asking what we were going to do.
“The worst part was that Southampton had just been beaten 9-0 by Leicester on the Friday night and I had watched that at home.
“We were 4- 0 down to Celtic, couldn’t do anything to stop them, and it’s hard not to think the worst. We’re not thinking like that this time around though.
“Thankfully Celtic maybe took their foot off the gas a wee bit in the second half that day.
“And we’ve been down to Parkhead since and put on a decent performance, albeit we lost 2-1.
“Apart from the result it was positive and we will try to build on it.”
Positives have been in short supply for the Dons since the winter break – but McKenna insists Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Hamilton, after a nightmare 468- minute goal drought, was restorative.
The Aberdeen star said: “It gives us a bit of confidence. It has been a tough couple of weeks but after the first goal we looked like a team who were enjoying their football.
“We had a cutting edge back – but it was frustrating to see that Accies goal go in so late on.
“It felt so much worse than it should. I suppose that’s a
sign of how determined we are to keep the ball out of our net.”
They will need all that determination to deny Edouard, who is on a goal streak that rightly won him January’s Premiership player of the month award.
McKenna said: “You’re not always aware of Edouard doing much but then bang! A moment of quality and he has punished you.
“So it’s about trying to stay switched on because Celtic have that qual ity right through their team. It’s not just Edouard.
“When he’s in the team Leigh Griffiths is scoring and that’s good news for Steve Clarke and Scotland.
“We will need our wits about us. It’s al l about communicating and picking up runners. They are all moving about and fluid at the top end of the pitch.”
Gaffer McInnes admits he could feel the relief from his side at ending their famine in style in midweek. And he believes defensively, they have enough to cope with the champions i f the concentration is there.
The manager said: “The work rate and tenacity have always been there but the conf idence we got from Curtis Main’s goal was there for everyone to see.
“It was like a weight lifted off our shoulders and we were free flowing. We had a desire for more goals.
“Hamilton gave us some space to work and Celtic will come at us as well. We won’t get as many chances against them but we have to be as clinical as we were against Hamilton in midweek.
“Celtic have an array of talent and one of Neil Lennon’s biggest challenges is deciding who to play as he has so many guys back fit.
“You can tie yourself in knots thinking what they are going to do but whatever team he puts out will be full of attacking intent.
“We have to deal with that. We were disappointed to lose a goal at Hamilton but we have only lost three goals in seven games so the defence has been good. But we know they will be tested by Celts.”
McInnes played an adventurous three at the back on Tuesday night, with Matty Kennedy and Connor McLennan as wing-backs.
The 5- 0 and 4- 0 rinsings they took from Rangers and Celtic earlier in the season are sti ll niggl ing at his subconscious though.
He said: “When you come up against teams with good players and they can hit you from all angles, you have to get the balance right between attack and defence.
“But after the sore ones we took from the Old Firm we’ve had three games with them where we did well.
“We drew with Rangers twice and had a narrow defeat at Celtic Park in a game where we deserved a point.
“We have shown when we compete right, set up right and our conf idence is right, we can get closer to these teams.”