Stephen McManus has revealed the Celtic
players and management held a clear-the-air meeting on Saturday night
following a fractious beginning to Tony Mowbray's tenure as Parkhead
boss.
Mowbray had bemoaned the lack of quality at his disposal in recent
weeks, even though today's 2-1 win over Hamilton at New Douglas Park
took the club a point above Old Firm rivals Rangers at the top of the
Clydesdale Bank Premier League.
Sunday's win was Celtic's first in five games, but McManus believes only time will tell if the meeting has made a difference.
"We had a good meeting yesterday and it stays between the lads and the
coaching staff," said McManus, who was criticised by Mowbray after
recent games against Rapid Vienna and Rangers.
"Time will tell if it has been beneficial.
"Over the course of the season you have chats as a group and that's what happened.
"Communication is a big factor in any line of work but one thing we are
looking to do as players, manager and coaching staff is to drive the
club forward."
McManus, who was off the pitch for the last 15 minutes of the first
half to get stitches in a eye wound, added: "We won the game so it's an
improvement.
"But we are not going to kid ourselves on as a team. As individuals we need to get better.
"The manager has his ideas which we take on board.
"The most important thing is that everyone in the dressing room, the
manager and the players, are all going in the right direction and
that's what we want.
"It's as important that everyone rallies around."
Mowbray was a relieved man to escape Lanarkshire with all three points after a late scare.
After a textbook volley from Shaun Maloney and a close-range drive from
Scott McDonald gave the visitors a comfortable interval lead, there
looked no way back for Accies.
The Parkhead side, indeed, cruised through the second half but Mickael
Antoine-Curier scored seven minutes from time to set up a nervy finale
for Celtic and only stand-in goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska's fine save from
James McArthur in the final stages, when the Accies midfielder was
clean through on goal, prevented the home side stealing a point.
After stressing the importance of performances in recent weeks, the
Celtic boss was reluctant to discuss his side's display, claiming the
result was the most important aspect of the afternoon.
"I was happy with the endeavour, commitment and desire to win the match," Mowbray said.
"But it's all about results and the history books will show that we won 2-1.
"It's just another three points and we will move on."
Mowbray explained that the absence of regular goalkeeper Artur Boruc
and midfielder Scott Brown was down to leg and ankle injuries
respectively.
He said: "Artur has been carrying the knock for six or seven weeks and
getting through it but it came to the point where we had to take him
out.
"Scott Brown needs to sort his ankle out long-term, he got a knock on
it in midweek and it wasn't good enough to play with today."
Accies captain McArthur admits he should have levelled with his later
chance but insists he would attempt to finish in exactly the same way
if the circumstances were repeated.
"It was a very good chance to get a point and I'm very disappointed not to score," he said.
"Some of the guys said I should maybe have chipped the 'keeper or taken a touch.
"But if I'm going through one-on-one again I would probably do the same because I hit the ball well.
"It was going in to the bottom corner but it was a good save.
"I'm already thinking what I should have done but you move on."
Hamilton boss Billy Reid refused to blame McArthur for his late miss
but had to hold his tongue with regards to midfielder Marco Paixao who
carelessly lost possession to Andreas Hinkel for Celtic's first goal.
"James hit the target and that's all you can ask," Reid said.
"If he had put the ball past the post then you would say that he must hit the target but the 'keeper mad
0 Comments 4 minutes
HAMILTON 1 CELTIC 2 Celtic
leapfrogged Old Firm rivals Rangers to the top of the Clydesdale Bank
Premier League by a point with a narrow win over Hamilton at a sodden
New Douglas Park but they did not make it easy for manager Tony Mowbray.
A textbook volley from Shaun Maloney after 15 minutes and a close-range
drive from Scott McDonald just before the half-hour mark gave the
visitors a comfortable interval lead.
The Parkhead side were cruising through the second half until Mickael
Antoine-Curier revived the home side with a goal seven minutes from the
end to set up a rousing finale.
After what looked like being a routine win, Celtic goalkeeper Lukasz
Zaluska, in for the injured Artur Boruc, became the Hoops' hero when he
made a point-blank save from James McArthur to prevent the home side
stealing a point.
The victory will take the pressure off Mowbray and put it back on Ibrox
boss Walter Smith as both sides look ahead to Co-operative Insurance
Cup ties in midweek, but the Celtic boss will simply be glad to have
left Lanarkshire with all three points.
The game got off to a disjointed start, with the visitors looking anything but ready to end their four-game winless run.
However, Hamilton were architects of their own downfall in the 15th minute when the visitors took the lead through Maloney.
Midfielder Marco Paixao carelessly lost possession to Andreas Hinkel
deep in his own half and when the German's cross came over to the back
post, Maloney volleyed across Accies goalkeeper Tomas Cerny and into
the corner of the net for his fourth goal of the season.
In the 29th minute the visitors all-but sealed the points when McDonald doubled their lead.
Aiden McGeady and Georgios Samaras combined at pace down the right and
when the ball broke to the Australia international eight yards out, he
slammed it past Cerny with the aid of a deflection.
Accies looked doomed but nine minutes from the break, with Celtic
skipper Stephen McManus off getting stitches in a head knock, Zaluska
was called into action almost for the first time.
Paixao's driven free-kick made its way through a packed penalty area
and after the Polish goalkeeper parried, it was a relieved Celtic side
who eventually got the ball clear.
Paixao then lost possession again which was too much for boss Billy Reid to take, and he was replaced by Jordan Kirkpatrick.
McManus returned to the action at the start of the second half with a plaster over his left eye.
The game was turning into something of a training exercise for Celtic
and they almost made it 3-0 in the 57th minute when, following another
spell of pressure, McGeady fired in a drive which Cerny did well to
save down at his left-hand post.
Maloney then curled a free-kick from 25 yards just wide of the target
before he set up Samaras, who drove over from 16 yards in his attempt
to burst the net.
In the 73rd minute Accies midfielder McArthur had a half-hearted effort from 25 yards but failed to trouble Zaluska.
Niall McGinn and Marc Crosas then replaced Maloney and McDonald but in
the 83rd minute the home side gave themselves a lifeline when striker
Antoine-Curier re-directed a McArthur drive past Zaluska from close
range.
With two minutes remaining, as Celtic wobbled for the first time in the
game, Zaluska saved the day and it was a relieved travelling support
who welcomed the final whistle.
time will tell both old firm team at the moment are -playing simply shit