Callum McGregor has admitted Celtic must eat humble pie after their 2-0 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice, acknowledging that the performance simply was not good enough.
The club captain was unable to inspire a response as goals from Will Ferry and Emmanuel Agyei secured a comfortable win for the home side. It was Celtic’s eighth league defeat of the season, the most in a single campaign since 1999/2000, and McGregor made no attempt to deflect from the reality of what it means for the title race.
Speaking to Sky Sports at full time, he said Celtic had not done enough to create chances and had conceded poor goals that allowed the match to get away from them. He accepted that on the day the better team won, and said the squad would need to reflect honestly and find solutions before the final seven games of the season.
The Tannadice pitch was a genuine factor, with its unpredictable surface causing problems for a team that likes to build from the ground up with precision. McGregor acknowledged it played a part but was firm in refusing to use it as an excuse. He pointed to the question of adaptability, saying Celtic should have found a way to be more direct and take the pitch out of the equation rather than persisting with an approach that was not working. Too many players had an off day at the same time, and the collective drop in level produced the result it deserved.
His message for the weeks ahead was one of calm and focus. He said this is an emotional moment for supporters and the club, but that clear heads are needed now more than ever. Celtic still face both Hearts and Rangers before the end of the campaign, and McGregor believes those fixtures represent real opportunities to turn the title race around. He was honest that the run-in will not be easy, but insisted Celtic are not out of it and that the squad knows what is required.