Title battle will be won by the team who wants it most

The post split fixtures were released and as the Angry Bears and their just as angry Jambo cousins cried tales of conspiracy, we could clearly see the road map to regaining our title.

Although meticulously and fairly planned out by those in charge, there’s no doubting that Celtic have the most favourable run in, and although we were sitting in third place in a three way battle for the title, it certainly felt like we were back holding the destiny of the league trophy firmly within our hands.

The feel good factor intensified further when the news reached us that the Green Brigade would be back for the remainder of the season, all being well. With four home matches remaining, including two against our title rivals, this would be a game changer.

I certainly got swept up in the excitement and had predicted to friends that with everything falling into place I could see us meeting St Mirren with renewed vigour and finally putting a team to the sword this season.

Thinking with the heart instead of the head is rarely a good idea and yet again reality had hit by 5pm yesterday.

Once again this Celtic team faltered. Once again they left me glued to the TV full of anxiety, nails getting bitten to the quick. Honestly, my nerves can’t wait until this season ends. It has aged me about ten years.

Yesterday’s performance was yet again abysmal. I couldn’t be happier that we managed to claim all three points, but winning whilst performing like we currently are is unsustainable. St Mirren’s new manager has been in situ for a matter of weeks and has got his team playing with more fluidity than ours. We look so disjointed. We look like a team of strangers struggling to adapt to each other. A team who fails to do the simple things correctly.

We looked ok initially, and it was a massive relief to get an early goal. Then we seemed to completely drop off. The second half was dreadful. St Mirren were the better team, the way the game was going I almost expected them to score. Thankfully that never happened.

It’s hard to even put your finger on what is wrong. It’s not just one thing, it’s a vast array of problems. I thought Arne Engels did the simple things well when he came on. He could be hugely important during this run in as our midfield has been severely lacking energy. The will to win is clear amongst this group but the lack of quality on the ball is jarring.

So after yesterday I have accepted that the remainder of this season is going to be excruciating. I have given up on any hope of seeing a decent standard of football this season. I have given up on the idea that we are going to put in a full 90 minute display.

Gone are my dreams of putting a team to the sword. This is going to be a slog. The remaining games are not going to be for the footballing purists. Wins will be achieved by sheer will to win and a desire to retain our crown as Champions of Scotland.

I expect my poor nails to be non existent come the end of the season. I care not one bit as long as we win this title. We can go back to discussing the problems we have then. We can argue about who is the right man needed to get us back playing ‘the Celtic way’. Until then it’s all about winning matches.

At times it will be hard to watch, but if there is glory at the end of it I’m sure I’m not the only one who won’t care how it’s achieved. This title battle will be won by the team who wants it most. I hope and pray that will be us.

Conall McGinty

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