Callum McGregor admits that the air of negativity around Celtic this season is now having an impact on the dressing room.
Sunday’s home defeat to Hibs left Martin O’Neill’s six points behind leaders Hearts and two behind Rangers with a game in hand.
Having already suffered seven defeats in the Premiership this season, Celtic’s hopes of retaining the title are diminishing.
On the back of tennis balls being thrown onto the park at the start of the Stuttgart game, the weekend loss featured more anti-board chants from disaffected fans.
With the Green Brigade still suspended and no breakthrough in talks between interim chairman Brian Wilson and various supporters’ groups, there’s seemingly no end in sight to the unrest which stretches back to the start of the season.
Asked if the external noise was now having a negative effect on the players, skipper McGregor said: ‘I think it’s having an impact on the whole club, if I’m honest.
Captain McGregor admits the negative atmosphere at Celtic Park is impacting the whole club
Celtic players look dejected after Hibs score their second goal in the 2-1 win
‘So, us as players, we have to try and salvage what is there, harness it, get the most out of it and get the most out of each other.
‘And the players, it’s their life as well. They’re trying ever so hard, they’re working ever so hard.
‘I said to them before the game, we have to give everyone something to get off their chairs about.
‘I said it at the start of the season, performances and wins will bring harmony back. And that’s the job of the players. Obviously, everything else we can’t control.
‘But the bit that we can control is trying as hard as you can, trying to play good football and trying to win football matches.
‘And that’s been the message from me to the players the whole season. And I believe if we do that, and we do enough of it, then the harmony will come back.’
Celtic have just 11 league games remaining to overtake Rangers and Hearts and retain the title they’ve held for the past four seasons.
After visiting Stuttgart on Thursday, O’Neill’s side face a string of taxing league matches encompassing trips to Ibrox and Pittodrie with the top flight’s form team Motherwell also due at Parkhead.
And McGregor feels that a Celtic side which has been dogged by inconsistency throughout the season can now scarcely afford to put a foot wrong if it’s to yet prevail.
Martin O’Neill has called on supporters to back the team amid unrest at Celtic Park
Protesting Celtic fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch before the Euro tie with Stuttgart
‘The league is competitive,’ he added. ‘The top four, five, six teams are all good teams.
‘We’ve put ourselves under pressure to win some big games that normally you can afford draws here and there.
‘But I think now we have to pretty much win every game. There will be twists and turns, so the one thing for sure is that we have to stick together. I know there’ll be a lot of anger and disappointment, but we’re a long way from home.
‘So, we have to keep going, we have to keep fighting and we will do that.”
Another dramatic weekend in the title race saw Hearts beat Falkirk and return to being the bookmakers’ favourites after Celtic lost and Rangers slipped up at Livingston.
‘I think Hearts will be saying the same,’ said McGregor. ‘They’ll be thinking we need to win every game as well.
‘So, all I’m thinking about from our perspective is – can we simplify the game? Can we make the game easier for ourselves? And if we do that, then I think we’ve got a good chance.”
Celtic’ hopes of defeating Hibs weren’t helped by Auston Trusty being sent off at VAR’s behest for striking out at Jamie McGrath as they waited for a corner to be taken with the game tied at 1-1.
Although his manager appeared to have no issue with that decision, McGregor felt the flashpoint didn’t merit referee Matthew MacDermid eventually producing a red card.
Asked if that was an example of the things the side had to stay in control of, McGregor said: ‘Yeah, yeah, of course, but it’s an emotional game, there’s a lot at stake.
McGregor insists Auston Trusty did not deserve to be sent off against Hibs
‘And by the way that’s not me in any way putting the blame on Auston at all. I actually think it’s the other way.
‘I think this happens every single free kick, corner kick, in every single game of football that we watch.
‘So, to send him off for that, we may as well all go up the road and stop playing football if that’s going to be a red card every single week.
‘The one thing that is for sure, we will stick together. And we’ll keep going.
‘By far, we’re not out of the title race at all. We’ve put ourselves under pressure, we need to win some big games that are coming up. But that’s not beyond us, we’ve been doing that all season, and we’ve been doing it for the last few years. So, we have that experience in the bank.
‘The one thing I will say is we have to make the game easier for ourselves because you can’t keep chasing the game. Because then you’re relying on miracles at the end of games all the time.’
Meanwhile, Celtic intend appealing the red card shown to Trusty.
The club intend filing the paperwork with the Hampden authorities this week in the hope that the defender can be freed to face Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.
A statement read: ‘Celtic FC can confirm that we will be submitting an appeal to the SFA in relation to the red imposed on Auston Trusty during yesterday’s match.
‘The club believes that the player was wrongfully dismissed and that the decision was reached following VAR intervention.’
Earlier this year, Celtic failed in an appeal against the red card the player was shown after being sent off for a last man tackle in the 2-2 draw at Tynecastle.
