DAVIE HAY: Celtic boss Deila needs win bonus

It's been a bit of a stuttering start to the Norwegian's tenure at Parkhead to say the least, and events last week did little to offer any answers to the consistency conundrum that has been puzzling many fans at Parkhead.

After recording what was a fantastic win against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League, virtually the same Celtic side then went out just three days later and lost 1-0 to Hamilton Accies in the league.

It seems to be one step forward and then one step back for Ronny and his squad at the moment.

The latest hiccup came at a time when Celtic really could have done without it given the recent Premiership draw with Motherwell.

If you analyse the game against Hamilton, the Hoops did miss a lot of chances, and a few of them were pretty clear-cut too.

But, at the end of the day criticism or praise is dictated by the results achieved, not by performances.

Take nothing away from Hamilton, they played very well to record their first win at Parkhead since 1938, and young Ali Crawford took his winning goal well. However, with the inconsistency of their results in recent weeks it was the last thing Celtic needed or wanted.

Unfortunately, it focused pressure on the manager, something which he has been forced to get used to since joining in the summer from Stromsgodset.

The topic of conversation has revolved around Ronny, which is inevitable given the uncertain start he's had.

There have been positives under him, especially in the Europa League. The Dinamo victory was part of that.

But there have also been negatives, and losing last Sunday and being sixth in the league are just two of them.

There's an inconsistency with results but each game has had its own highs and lows. That epitomises their season so far.

Ronny arrived at Celtic tipped as one of Europe's most promising young managers and he is trying to put his own stamp on things, which you can understand.

But I read his comments in Monday's SportTimes that he believes the Celtic team are still progressing under him.

I don't have a problem with him being positive about his team or his methods, but it's a strange time to come out and say that. I believe it's results that dictate what people will believe. Maybe Ronny sees things in training that makes him think the players are getting better under him, which is fair enough.

But the players have to prove it in getting results.

Even though the manager sees it and thinks it, the fans aren't seeing it in the shape of results in the league, and that is where they'll be judged.

Ronny can say what he wants. As Celtic manager he is entitled to his opinion.

But to make his argument convincing the results need to start coming.

Four points from their first two Europa League fixtures have sort of compensated for the slow start in the league.

However, there is still a lot of uncertainty in the minds of many supporters, and the Hamilton defeat will have done little to help that.

In that sense, I think the international break has probably come at a good time for Ronny and his players.

Even though many of them won't get the chance of a rest because they'll be away with their respective countries, at least they should be able to recharge mentally after a draining few weeks.

When the players come back, though, it's crucial they get off to a good start to win over the doubters.

Ronny really can't afford more results like the Accies defeat, so the visit to Ross County next week must be the start of Celtic getting back to winning matches.

When you win games, your training methods are right, but at present there is too much focus on what Ronny is doing off the field in training and with his approach to fitness rather than what is happening in games.

Defeat can cause people to overscrutinise. That's what's happening with Ronny.

Thankfully the league isn't lost in a game, and Celtic still should win it. But the sooner they start winning the better.

When that starts to happen more fans may start turning up to games because there's obviously been an adverse effect on attendances.

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here