The Celts came through five derbies last term unbeaten with four wins and that 3-3 draw, and have also gone unbeaten in the early-season games this time around, and the manager was asked what pleased him most about the team’s performances now compared this time last year,

He said: “Our pressing. I always say that passing the ball and pressing are twins. When you press the game well, you pass the game well. And there was probably the first six months of last season when we weren’t doing either so well with enough consistency.

“That started to pick up in the second part of the season and then really that last three months of the season then tagged on into our pre-season and, now if you analyse the games, we’ve had three shots against us in three games.

“That tells you how hard the team is pressing and working together. And that elevates the football, so I always say our mantra here is ‘respect the 30 per cent’, because that’s the most important bit, the bit when you don’t have the ball – how aggressive you are.”

The manager pinpointed last weekend’s win over Stephen Robinson’s St Mirren side as an example of the difference.

He said: “That was what was nice last week after the game when Stephen was talking about changing his team, probably wanting to go physical in set pieces – but we did all the dirty side of the game, and the top players do that.

“They do the dirty side, some people call it easy because it’s not the stuff that get noticed a lot from the stands, but it’s absolutely key from a coaching perspective and the players’ perspective, that pressing side, the aggression, the compactness of the team, all of them brings the football to another level.

“That’s been the most pleasing part.”

The manager’s full press conference

The Champions League draw
Transfers in
Transfers out
Adding new players to a winning team
Being equipped for the Champions League
Busy week with the transfer window and derby
Derby focus

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