Forget the Talk of Big-Game Nerves – Celtic’s Real Issue is Complacency
There have been claims circulating on social media that our manager and players struggle with ‘stage fright’ in crucial matches, particularly after yet another disappointing Glasgow Derby defeat—the second of 2025.
A Woeful Celtic Display
While it’s fair to criticize yesterday’s performance, just as we did back in January, some of the reactions have been completely over the top. In fact, a few comments even made me laugh, offering a slight reprieve from the frustration of such a poor display.
Some fans have lost focus on the actual game and instead questioned our mentality and character in these high-stakes fixtures.
Yes, I acknowledge that we’ve looked disorganized and deflated in the last two derby clashes. Even in our League Cup final win, we were far from our best. But that December victory proved our resilience and ability to handle pressure—a trait we’ve consistently demonstrated in recent years.
A Look at Last Season
Last season serves as the perfect example. At this stage, we were trailing Rangers, who were widely expected to win the league. What did we do? We went on a strong run, secured a crucial draw at Ibrox, defeated them at home, and ultimately triumphed at Hampden in the Scottish Cup final to complete a league and cup double.
Does that sound like a squad afraid of big occasions? Absolutely not. We’ve repeatedly shown our strength when it counts. Our real issue is complacency when we’re comfortably ahead—something we must address urgently.
