IT has been the kind of month that may have soured other managers, particularly those who have occupied an Old Firm seat.

Ronny Deila couldn’t have felt the heat any more acutely than if he laced up his trainers for a marathon which took in the scorching surrounds of the Sahara in mid-July.

There was an oasis of calm, of sorts, with the weekend win over Ross County that takes the sting out of recent events.

But the Norwegian is well aware that another stumble will result in the fires being stoked once more.

And yet he remains optimistic to the point of cheerfulness.

If he is losing sleep over whether or not Aberdeen are genuinely capable of pushing Celtic all the way this season, then he is not for showing it.

Delivering the title is the minimum result required for Deila. Failure is unthinkable for Celtic, but the glass-full Hoops boss is embracing the challenge of the season rather than buckling under the scrutiny and pressure which this campaign has brought.

“I have always said that winning the title is the biggest thing for us because it gives us the chance for the Champions League,” said Deila.

“I don’t feel any differently. My opinion has not changed. People keep talking about Aberdeen but I do not see it like that.

“What Aberdeen do does not change what we have to do at Celtic. At this club, it is about winning. We have to win every game.

"That does not change whether Aberdeen are winning or Hearts are winning. The pressure of being a Celtic manager or a Celtic player is still the same; win, win, win.

“That is what we are trying to do. That is what we have tried to do for every game this season. It has not changed because of what has happened over the last few weeks.

“I believe in my players. I believe in my team and I believe in myself. Confidence comes through results and performances. We did not play at our best at the weekend, that is fair to say.

"But the pitch just now has had three months of rain fall on it and it makes it tough to play good football.

“We have the best groundsmen in the country, but you can do nothing with the weather we have had. The performances can and will get better and our aim is to look only to the next game and try to make sure we keep on bringing in the points.”

It is a free week for Celtic who don’t play, while Aberdeen are in action again on Friday night.

It gives the Pittodrie side the chance to ask a question of Celtic ahead of their meeting against Inverness on Saturday at Celtic Park.

Deila is wary of the Highlanders, but is looking forward to a week in which he can get back on to the training ground at Lennoxtown as he seeks to bed in the faces who arrived in the January transfer window.

“It is a positive thing for us because it gives us a chance to allow one or two players who have been carrying knocks to come back into the team and take it easy for a bit,” said Deila. “We also have new guys like Erik Sviatchenko and Colin Kazim-Richards who have played games but who will get better once they get to know their team-mates better.

“But our home games are only to our advantage if we make it so. We should be able use that and make sure that we are picking up three points but that is always our focus wherever we are playing.

“It is always good to be in front of your own fans and we want to put in the kind of performances that make them get behind us.

"But Inverness are a team who have already shown that we need to treat them with respect.

“I don’t have any ill-feelings over any other game or anything like that. I have said before that revenge is not a word that I would use because once something is in the past it is gone.

"It is about the future and what you can do and you have to use your energy the right way.

“We respect them. They are a good team, they try to pass the ball, they try to play football and I think we know what to expect from them.”

Meanwhile, Deila believes that Sviatchenko is a player who will add strength to Celtic backline.

“He was thrown into the team when he could maybe have done with a little bit more time with us, but he has already shown what he can do,” said Deila. “He is a really positive character. He is a great guy to have around the team and his attitude is good.

“But there is so much more to come from him and a week like this is good because it gives him the chance to get to work with the team and settle a bit more.

“I am not going to say that it is disappointing not to be able to play him with Jozo Simunovic because it sounds like an excuse. Injuries are a part of football and they happen.

"We have actually had much fewer injuries this season that we did last season which I think is because we are fitter and stronger, but this week will be good for Erik and for Colin to get to know our system a bit better.”