It is possible to manage badly on resources which dwarf those of the opposition. Celtic fans need only look back to the tenure of Tony Mowbray, which was unceremoniously cut short after a 4-0 defeat at St Mirren, to realise that.
But at the same time it would be illogical to ignore the gulf in finance and personnel between Celtic and the remainder of Scottish football when assessing Ronny Deila’s maiden championship win – a success which was not so much predicted as widely accepted before a ball was kicked.
Even Mowbray should have had the capability of leading Celtic to this title, such is the lack of credible or sustained opposition. A trophy is raised aloft, Celtic’s supporters understandably celebrate, the rest of Scotland shrugs its shoulders. The lack of a race worthy of that name is regularly evident at Celtic Park, where thousands of season-ticket holders do not feel any need to turn up for league games.
This strange backdrop is not Deila’s fault, of course. He is entitled to revel in Celtic’s fourth league win in succession; context is for others to ponder. The 39-year-old should also be permitted some time to find his feet in a fresh environment and different country from where his young family are based.
Deila, who arrived in Glasgow from a small club in Norway after originally being eyed up as a first-team coach, has avoided the outright disaster which would have ruined his aspirations of progression to the English Premier League. He first appeared on Celtic’s radar after studying coaching methods at Manchester City. Given the Glasgow club’s desire to pluck players from lesser environments in the hope of providing a platform for even bigger things, they may as well do likewise with managers.
Celtic’s movement under Deila is tricky to gauge, aside from the steadying of a scenario which threatened to unravel completely early in the campaign. The Norwegian was erratic and unsure with team selections and tactics back then. He held an apparent obsession with dietary business, the domain of a fitness coach rather than a manager. Given Celtic had been generally successful before Deila’s arrival, internal resistance was only natural.
Slowly Celtic’s squad has seemed to buy into Deila’s demands. Players appreciate the detailed instructions which Deila provides, along with his defending of them in public. The club has backed him to the hilt, including with the employment of backroom staff from Deila’s homeland. Celtic’s supporters love their manager’s post-match exuberance; Deila is essentially a likable character and not one interested in fanning the flames of controversy.
From 14 European fixtures this season – including those in an only moderate Europa League group – Celtic won four times and generally failed to impress. It is at that level where they should be properly assessed, which renders the coming months as more vital to Deila than a successful title defence. For a snapshot of this, see Leigh Griffiths, who can score freely on the Scottish domestic scene but vanishes without trace on European or international duty.
Celtic’s Scottish League performance is statistically worse than a year ago. Then they amassed 99 points, scored 102 goals and lost only once. The title was confirmed in late March. That team, under Neil Lennon, looked far more potent and ruthless than Deila’s. A Scottish top-flight crown was last won in May in 2011.
Aberdeen are partly due credit for the change, just as Celtic’s ability to defeat their closest rivals three times is notable. The Pittodrie team have at least made a more concerted effort at challenging for the championship than has been common in Scotland, setting themselves apart as the second-best team in the country. And still Deila and his players beat them when it counted and crossed the line with a bit to spare.
Deila has not signed particularly well. His main attacking purchase, Stefan Scepovic, has done nothing to justify a £2.5m price tag and may well join the ever-expanding list of failed Celtic strikers bought from abroad. Deila’s nonsensical, publicly staunch backing of Aleksandar Tonev over what were found by the Scottish Football Association to be racist comments towards Aberdeen’s Shay Logan appeared even more ludicrous when detail of the Aston Villa loanee’s failed appeal emerged.
There have been elements of unforeseen misfortune, such as the incorrect decision not to award Celtic a penalty when 1-0 up on Inverness in the recent Scottish Cup semi-final. That defeat – which was on account of Celtic’s failure to hold on to their lead, not the errant actions of officialdom – denied Deila the opportunity to move within one game of an historic domestic treble. Mercifully it spared ridiculous – if unavoidable – comparisons to the genuinely great Celtic sides who did achieve that clean sweep.
It would be unfair to dismiss altogether Celtic’s latest claiming of the league flag. Evidence merely suggests the detail of progress or otherwise within it will arrive in the future as opposed to the past.
