John Guidetti has to buy into Ronny Deila's team-game ethos - or pay the price

It's a question for which Ronny Deila must find an answer.

From the outside, it looks like John has decided his future does not lie at Celtic, with a move back to Feyenoord his preferred option.

So should Ronny continue to include him in his plans for the remainder of the time he is here?

John looked like a great acquisition when he first arrived, scoring almost every week after he got his match fitness.

That led to a clamour for the Celtic to agree personal terms and exercise the option to buy they had already agreed with Manchester City.

However, the goals dried up, he dropped from the starting XI, and things have gone down hill from there.

From the outside, it looks like, since that purple patch John enjoyed, his relationship with the manager has deteriorated.

Watching John, he has become more individualistic when he plays, which is never going to sit well with Ronny because he is all about the team ethos.

Some players need to feel they are the star of the side.

Well Jimmy Johnstone was the undoubted star of the Celtic team I played for.

But he was also very much part of the team - and he never forgot how important it was to be that.

Does John? I'm not so sure.

Ronny is the man who sees him in training every day. He is the one who will know if the work is being put in and if the attitude is correct.

John appears to have made up his mind he is not going to sign the contract Celtic were prepared to offer, and that he wants to go back to Holland, where he had such a good spell on loan with Feyenoord.

Some players need to feel wanted and loved, as John was in Rotterdam, where they still remember how many goals he scored and the performances he put in as a teenager.

But that was over three years ago, and things change - as do players.

It's not always possible to simply retrace your steps and pick up where you left off.

Look how quickly things have fluctuated for John even during his six months at Celtic.

Of course, as a free agent at the end of the season, it is his choice where he wants to continue his career and which offer he wants to accept.

All Ronny can do is manage the situation as it is from now until the end of the season.

He can't just put John back into his side to try and influence his decision, not if his performances in games and, more importantly, on the training ground, don't merit it.

What kind of message would that send out to the rest of the squad who have all be left in no doubt what the criteria is for getting into Ronny's team?

Nir Bitton, Kris Commons and Leigh Griffiths have all had to change to meet Ronny's demands, and all got back into the starting XI as a result.

It can't be one rule for one and another for everyone else.

I actually think that, on form and if his mind set is right, John is the best striker at the club. But is it?

Leigh's is, and he is the No.1 choice at the moment. I can't see that changing, as things stand.

So, what does Ronny do with John? Well, I still think he has a part to play, as he proved when he came off the bench to score such an important goal against Inter Milan in the first leg of their Europa League tie.

I also thought he played well, under difficult circumstances, in the return game in the San Siro.

Ronny needs to use his squad well in the run in to the season, and it would not help him to simply write off any player.

It would, however, depend on John's attitude, and the reaction of his team-mates.

There's something of a parallel with the Georgios Samaras situation last season, though the big difference was Sami wanted to stay but others at the club decided his time was up.

Neil Lennon still kept him in his plans as he knew he had something to offer.

This is the crunch time of the season, with three games against Dundee United in the Scottish Cup, the League Cup final and the league.

I actually believe this weekend's Scottish Cup tie will be the toughest of these games because it is at Tannadice, where United beat them back in December.

Ronny is right it was as well they had their off night on Wednesday against St Johnstone as that was a league game and they can come back from that.

If it had happened in either of the next two weekends, the Treble would be gone.

That defeat was a wake up call for a squad which Ronny reckons might be feeling the strain of so many games in such a short period of time.

I don't like to hear a manager talking about tiredness because it can give players an excuse.

They had their break in January, and showed against Aberdeen they are not running on empty.

With what's at stake in the next few weeks, no-one should be anything other than up for it.

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