If there were any newcomers to Celtic last summer who were unclear about their expectations when they put on the jersey, they now know. something that, heading into the winter break, has been demonstrated in their last four performances.
These victories, especially the one over Rangers on Saturday, have made sure that the mid-December slump, in which the champions lost back-to-back games to Kilmarnock and Hearts, has been somewhat, if not entirely, forgotten.
The players themselves undoubtedly recall it, as does the backlash that ensued, which included internal and external reminders that the club’s expectations had dropped.
Full-back Greg Taylor claims that their recent improvement in performance and results is a result of that memory. However, if anyone in the Celtic locker room hadn’t gotten the message that things needed to get better right away after those losses, he’s made sure to put it in their faces.
“I say my bit,” Taylor uttered.
, but that’s only because I’m so attached to them. As a team, I want us to succeed and demonstrate our abilities. I never offer advice unless it’s because I want us to succeed.
“I’m limited to speaking for myself. I’m ravenous for achievement and for trophies. I am aware that this club has certain requirements.
“I believe this team still has a lot of room for improvement. Personally, I believe that based on what he says, the manager was referring to the fact that many boys have never been to a club this size. They are learning how we want to play and developing daily.
It’s important to learn during trying times and to avoid getting carried away by minor victories.
The season has halfway passed. I talked about mentality in that context. It’s simple to get excited for the big games as a Celtics player. You are aware of the requirements. You are aware of the requirements.
It’s about demonstrating that level consistently each and every week and in every aspect of the game. That is also very important.
“Hopefully, as the season progresses, we’ll get better gradually but steadily. That’s undoubtedly true—you have to prevail, but you also have to do it in a particular way.
“There were probably times during the games when we weren’t giving our best efforts. While we were getting some results, we weren’t quite reaching our desired goals. That point was recently reached. However, I believe that there has been more development in the team
“Hopefully, we can demonstrate that in the season’s second half.”
Although his teammates might not be able to ignore Taylor’s constant proddings, Taylor claims they have grown skilled at blocking out the chatter surrounding their success, especially the story that they were in a crisis not too long ago—a narrative manager Brendan Rodgers recently criticized.
He said, “You try to block it out as much as you can.”
Of course, there has been some criticism, but as I mentioned earlier, that’s especially possible after two losses at this club. It is insufficient.
At that point, we realized we had to play the remaining four games with all of our strength, and we did.
“We were aware that losing to Kilmarnock and Hearts wasn’t ideal. Our conceded goals came from set plays. Those were poor starts to those games by us.
Since then, I believe we’ve increased the ferocity of our play. Running off the ball and running selflessly to make room for a teammate has never been better. That has made a difference.
“There have undoubtedly been bumps in the road this season.” We had two very disappointing league games during this period.
Up until these last four games, we haven’t really had the consistency that we’ve wanted, probably over the course of the piece. But I believe we’ve discovered that now.
“A lot of important players have also been missing, but hopefully they’ll return after the break, and we’ll be ready to continue.”
Taylor has handled some personal criticism of his play this season well in the last few weeks, and his Tuesday night goal against St. Mirren, which he scored brilliantly on a volleyed effort, completed a strong run of performances from the left-back.
He is aware that this won’t stop the persistent rumors that the team is actively trying to replace him during this month’s transfer window, but he is sure he can handle any challenge to his spot, as he has handled challenges from players like Alexandro Bernabei in the past.
“Hasn’t that always been the case?” He stated.
“Since I signed here, it has been the same during every transfer window.
“That comes with being at a large club. There will constantly be obstacles to overcome and people clamoring to take your jersey.
“Never take your past performance as a given, and make an effort to pay attention to the manager and coaches.” That usually puts you in a favorable position.
“Berna is an elite athlete.” He has trained incredibly well during this time. I’ve mentioned it previously, but the boys who don’t play as much as I do and the others are crucial to the group’s success.
“Every day these guys train as if it’s their last session.” As a group, you can only succeed in that way.
“All we need to do is maintain high performance levels during training; the manager will select the team based on that.”
