Deila will pitch in with Hampden celebration
RONNY DEILA has no intention of curbing his celebrations on the pitch for the sake of Old Firm post-match peace next Sunday.
However, the Celtic boss insists he will keep his revelry well within the boundaries of decency if he leads his team to victory in the League Cup semi-final.
Deila was known for his outlandish celebrations at Stromsgodset and has made a habit of geeing up the travelling supporters with fist-pumping exhibitions of joy after big away-day wins, particularly after the last-minute success at Pittodrie against title-challenging Aberdeen in October.
And the Parkhead boss will appear on the playing field at the national stadium for more of the same should he steer his side to a win over Rangers when hostilities are renewed for the first time in three years in the League Cup semi-final.
The Norwegian will this week deal with the scrutiny and intricacies of Old Firm life for the first time since succeeding Neil Lennon as Parkhead boss and he kicked off the countdown proper by stressing his desire and hopes for football to be the sole talking point on the day of the game.
Police at Hampden on Sunday will be intent on ensuring that is the case and are bound to be ultra cautious when tackling any potential for inflammatory incidents in the stadium.
Deila does not believe his now customary expressions of elation in front of the Celtic support will come into that category.
‘You have to celebrate with your own fans and I will always try to do that,’ said Deila, who was once again demonstrative after his side’s 1-0 win over Ross County yesterday.
‘In the media, everybody knows that you talk about your club, what we are, not talk about anybody else. That is the important thing. It is about respect. And respect is a very important word at Celtic.
‘So, if we win, we are going
FROM FRONT PAGE to be very happy — and I am going to be happy with the Celtic fans. But I don’t want to do anything to harm others.
‘Football is entertainment, it is culture. It is very good with emotions and that should be shown, no problem.
‘But it has to be peaceful. That is the most important thing. We have responsibility for everyone, especially children. We have to be role models for them. That is why I hope it will be a fantastic atmosphere and a good football match.
‘I want to concentrate on what is happening in the stadium, on the pitch. I am a coach, nothing else.’
With those rather obvious displays of passion in mind, Deila has clearly had no difficulty whipping up fervour behind his bid to land the domestic Treble for Celtic, even while Rangers are no threat to the main prize of the Premiership.
Talking down the hype is normally the managerial preamble to an Old Firm weekend, so it will be interesting to see if Deila directs media traffic in that direction in the coming days.
His experience of the world’s biggest rivalries extends to attending Manchester United versus Liverpool, the North London derby between Arsenal and Spurs and Real Madrid against Barcelona.
He believes his Glasgow experience will be the best after feasting on tales from his coaching staff.
His No 2, John Collins, appears to have dropped into conversation his stunning ‘sound-of-silence’ free-kick at Ibrox in 1994 on the day Celtic supporters were banned from Ibrox.
Coach John Kennedy’s memories are, sadly, scarred by the fact his superb display in a 2-1 victory at Ibrox in March 2004 was sandwiched between the greatest night of his career and the one that ultimately ended it.
His excellence in Celtic’s goalless draw in Barcelona, then the Old Firm battle within four days earned Kennedy the Scotland outing in which Ionel Ganea’s sickening foul ruptured his knee ligaments.
‘I felt sorry for John for that to happen in his career — that was quite a week for him,’ added Deila.
‘That is football — you have to enjoy the moment. John has been a part of it, so it’s important to have people there who know what is coming.
‘John Collins and many people at this club have been through it, too.
‘I get all the stories from him — maybe just the good ones of his goals, though! Maybe I have to check that it’s all true, everything is on tape.
‘It will be a new experience for me, an exciting game, an exciting week.’
Anything bar a convincing win for the overwhelming favourites over bedraggled Rangers would raise a few question marks about a reign that is yet to spawn consistently impressive performances.
Deila exudes confidence that superior Premiership class will tell even in the notoriously unpredictable environment of a derby.
He said: ‘Every game we play in Scotland, we are favourites. Home or away. That gives me confidence.
‘It’s just about getting out there and showing the quality. Then we know we have a very good chance of getting a result. It is very important that we play the match, not the occasion. I think in the first 15 minutes of an Old Firm game there won’t be many passes. It will be intense.
‘But after a while, things open up and then, hopefully, our quality will come through and allow us to win the game.’
Celtic can reach the League Cup Final, book a Scottish Cup quarter-final place and match up against Inter Milan in the Europa League — all before opening March with a TV cracker at home to Aberdeen.
The forecast for next month is to ensure the red-letter dates keep coming.
‘It’s a very important month,’ continued Deila. ‘Hopefully, we can extend that to June, I want to continue this because, if you lose these important games, you will be out of a lot of competitions.’