Footballers are human beings, does anyone doubt that?
As with any human being, if you continually chastise and tell them they are no good, it will sink in to some degree.
Anyone who disagrees is a moron!
Now we have an issue at Celtic Park with the defence.
No one is denying it. But it’s as simple as saying “they are just bad defenders”, because I don’t agree.
They are not.
Our defence was strong last year, it was the main reason we won a treble, as our strikers had their own issues.
So it has been proved that these guys are up to it.
But there are issues, and to get a full understanding of them and what must be done you have to take everything into account:
First, these guys are subjected to constant abuse.
Constant abuse in the media and, yes, even from our own stands.
Celtic defenders are held up to a higher standard than every other club. This can be proved.
Every mistake that is made is dissected and analysed. Even if it does not cause harm, it is used against us.
Last season our defenders were told that they were poor, even though they were no. Every “possible” goal was discussed. Every time a pass was made instead of launching it up the park it was slaughtered. It is as if no other defenders and no other teams make mistakes.
Most goals come from a mistake.
Now that is not to say that we should not try to eradicate these and that we should not discuss them, of course we should do both, but it has now become an issue of confidence and the simple fact is, when you are told, repeatedly, that you are no good, it will affect you.
You become nervous and lose confidence.
Next is the mainstream media overall.
Celtic fans need to stop listening to these scumbags.
They have an agenda against our club.
Yes discuss our issues, we do not hide from things like others do.
But our fans need to stop believing the tripe written by Duncan, Waddell, Parks and Jackson and stop listening to the trash being spouted on Snyde, it is a deliberate attempt to undermine our players, and it is working at the moment.
If we support and encourage the players they will come through it.
If we don’t then will they want to stay?
Next is squad development.
We need freshening up, it’s plain to see.
The boardroom needs to man up here, that is not in question.
The bid for Scott McKenna was Lawwell trying to show that all is OK, but there was never any way he was coming to us (and Aberdeen asking for £10m is holding us to ransom; they seem to think that as we have sold players at that price then he is worth it, he is not).
All this fools no one, he needs to deal with getting players and if he doesn’t then Dermot must step in.
But as James put it earlier, what the hell is going on with the players?
Don’t they listen on the training pitch?
As Brendan has said, where is the pride?
The top 2% who become pros get there because they fight and improve; why isn’t this happening at Celtic Park?
Do they think it’s too easy?
The last few weeks should have erased that belief in them.
Finally there is Boyata.
I have given this its own because it needs to be taken alone.
This will be causing issues in the dressing room. Until he is no longer at Celtic this will fester. He needs to go. Now. If he had played on Thursday and put in a performance then maybe we’d have had reason to believe he cared, but he continues to play games and that will be affecting others.
These issues have haunted us for the last few weeks.
It’s time we put them to one side and moved forward, as a club, fans, players and board.
We have to show now why we are Celtic!
David Campbell is a Celtic fan and blogger from Glasgow who thinks we all need to come together, right now.