Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will focus on finding answers from within during a crucial run of games after fans turned on the board during a 2-0 defeat by Hearts.
The home support did not take their first domestic defeat at Celtic Park since January 2021 well with cries of “sack the board” ringing out across Celtic Park after supporters in the main stand vented their frustration towards directors.
Celtic did not really look like mounting a comeback after Lawrence Shankland’s header and Stephen Kingsley’s free-kick put Hearts two ahead inside half an hour.
Only one of the club’s eight summer signings featured in the game and skipper Callum McGregor later stressed that Celtic need to sign quality players in January.
The likes of Josip Juranovic, Giorgios Giakoumakis, Jota, Aaron Mooy and Carl Starfelt have left over the past 12 months and the only new arrivals to establish themselves have been Alistair Johnston and Luis Palma.
Celtic have a serious title challenge on their hands with Rangers now five points behind with two games in hand in the cinch Premiership.
When asked about the chants against the board, many of which were directed towards chairman Peter Lawwell, Rodgers said: “That result is on myself and the players.
“We’re there, on the pitch, we have to be so much better than that. We have to focus on that. You can blame whoever you want but the reality is that that’s us on the field.
“And it’s nowhere near good enough for a Celtic team. I’ve been here long enough, I know the climate here, the expectations. Standing watching it, it’s not the level of a Celtic team or anywhere near it.”
Celtic face Livingston and Dundee before hosting Rangers on December 30 and Rodgers will focus on getting back on track after dropping eight points in five matches.
“Listen, there is still a hell of a long way to go and I know December is normally a grind up here, you are playing every three days,” Rodgers said.
“But that’s the expectation, that’s where we’re at. We have to find that strength, we need to analyse where it’s at and what we can be much better at.
“But for me it’s quite an easy reflection – you have to have greater desire and mentality. If you do that, you have a much better chance to succeed. That’s something I as a manager have to look to fix.”
Hearts bounced back from a 2-1 defeat by Aberdeen which left manager Steven Naismith accusing his players of being “bullied” in the second half. Their response was a first league win at Celtic Park since 2007.
Naismith said: “I think we are moving in the right direction as a squad.
“When you come into Hearts there is a demand there and a need to have success. But like anything it doesn’t happen overnight. You need to come through tough times and last week was a tough time, Monday morning’s meeting was tough.
“But what I like about this group is they have accepted it, they worked hard in training and they show you they have got that quality.
“They want to be as good as they can be individually but as a team they want to be successful.”
Simeone insists Atletico 'cannot stop pushing' after narrow Mallorca win
Diego Simeone insists Atletico Madrid "cannot stop pushing" in their pursuit of Champions League qualification after a narrow 1-0 victory over Mallorca.
Los Rojiblancos tightened their grip on fourth place in LaLiga, with Rodrigo Riquelme's fine individual effort in the fifth minute enough to secure back-to-back wins.
With four games remaining, Simeone's side moved onto 67 points, six clear of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, who they beat 3-1 last weekend.
The Atleti boss was thrilled by his players' performance levels, but has urged them not to rest on their laurels.
"The team interpreted the plan very well," he said. "The commitment was incredible from [Angel] Correa to [Jan] Oblak to play an intelligent game from a defensive point of view.
"After the goal, we controlled the game. We defended as a team and did a great job. We need to continue improving, and we can't stop pushing until the season is over."
Echoing his manager's thoughts, defender Axel Witsel told Movistar Plus+: "It was very important to win. We wanted to win and stay six points ahead. We have to keep it up.
"After Riquelme scored a fantastic goal, we managed to stay well-organised to secure the result."
'It hurts to lose' - Inzaghi apologises after Sassuolo defeat
Simone Inzaghi admits "it hurts to lose" following Inter's surprise 1-0 defeat by relegation-threatened Sassuolo.
The newly crowned Scudetto winners suffered only their second loss of the season in Serie A, as Armand Lauriente's first-half goal was enough to give the 19th-place hosts victory at Mapei Stadium.
Sassuolo, who boosted their survival hopes, subsequently completed the league double over the Nerazzurri, having also prevailed 2-1 at San Siro in September.
Meanwhile, Inter were beaten by a team in the bottom two for the first time since November 2014, with Inzaghi urging his players not to be distracted by their title triumph.
"We started sluggish and didn’t have the right approach to the game," he told Sky Sports Italia. "I'm sorry for the defeat, but credit must be given to Sassuolo for a performance of great effort and sacrifice.
"It's right to enjoy [our Scudetto victory], but there are still three games to go and we have to focus. It hurts to lose, and it should hurt."
After guiding Inter to their 20th Serie A crown, Inzaghi is hopeful he can keep the majority of his squad intact ahead of next season.
However, the Nerazzurri boss did emphasise the club's need to strengthen before launching their Scudetto defence.
"I already told the club that I want to go into next season with all the players I had this term, not losing a single one," he said. "Considering all the games we need to play and the length of the season, we do need a bigger squad."
Inter Miami 6-2 New York Red Bulls: Messi makes more MLS history as Suarez scores hat-trick
Lionel Messi had a hand in all six goals while Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick as Inter Miami overcame the New York Red Bulls 6-2 at Chase Stadium.
The Eastern Conference leaders were on a three-match winning streak in MLS, but fell behind to Dante Vanzeir's opener in the 30th minute.
However, the hosts turned the match on its head after the break, with Messi assisting a brace for half-time substitute Matias Rojas either side of getting on the scoresheet himself.
Suarez then took centre stage with a hat-trick inside 13 minutes - all assisted by his former Barcelona team-mate - while Emil Forsberg's stoppage-time penalty was a mere consolation for the visitors, who are now without a win in four.
Data debrief
Messi broke two more MLS records following yet another inspirational display for the Herons.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's six goal contributions and five assists were both the most recorded by a player in a single game.
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