Celtic defender Carl Starfelt has a message for the critics after a few weeks of discontent after winning the league: Keep your noise to yourself!
After a season where Celtic clinched the league title, won the league cup, and are on the brink of a treble, some pundits have found it fitting to criticise the team for a few losses. Yes, we’re talking about those games AFTER the league was already in the bag.
One of these games was the 3-0 defeat to our dear rivals at Ibrox. A poor performance, no doubt, but the way it’s been used as a stick to beat Celtic with is almost comical. It’s as if some critics have conveniently forgotten that Celtic are one win away from a treble. But hey, who are we to interrupt a good narrative with facts?
In the face of such criticism, Starfelt has shown the kind of resilience that has defined Celtic’s season: “We touch on that within the group, to keep everything within the group and not be disturbed by noise…what fans think or what the media think, or says,” he told the Scotsman.
“To really listen to each other in here, listen to the manager and the other players, and maybe your family and people who really care about you. Other than that, you don’t need to listen to anyone. All the players in the team know their potential as footballers.”
Starfelt’s comments are a testament to the team’s unity and focus, qualities that have propelled them to the brink of a treble. Yes, playing for a club like Celtic comes with its pressures, but as Starfelt points out, it’s these very pressures that can make you stronger.
“It is obviously not very easy at a club like Celtic; it can be a lot. But the thing is if you manage to do it you can get better from it as well. Become psychologically stronger through staying strong in adversity, in these situations.But it almost sounds now as if our season has been s–t.””
Starfelt hit the nail on the head. The bizarre narrative emanating from a few bad results after the title was in the bag has been poor, to say the very least. Ange Postecoglou said himself, if our rivals think we’re getting weaker then it’s good for us.
