The Republic of Ireland national has no qualms about the wave of jeers that reverberated throughout Celtic Park both at halftime and full-time as the Bhoys succumbed to a second consecutive defeat in the Scottish Premiership.
Fans unmistakably communicated their discontent to the players, coaching staff, and the club hierarchy following a lackluster display that allowed Hearts to secure their first victory at Celtic’s home ground since 2009.
Undoubtedly, the experience was far from pleasant for Scales and his teammates. Nonetheless, in anticipation of Saturday’s showdown against Livingston, the defender delivered a commendable response.
Scales firmly believes it’s the team’s responsibility to provide supporters with their money’s worth, particularly during the festive season.
Expressing his support for Celtic fans despite their frustration, Scales stated during media obligations this week (Daily Record, 22/12 print edition), “It was a build-up of losing the previous match and making it two games in a row. They’re entitled to have a go if they feel like it’s not good enough. Clearly it wasn’t good enough, and they spend a lot of money coming up to Christmas, we need to be better for them. I don’t think it was over the top. It hurts but that’s where we need to improve, for them. You could sense in the stadium after the game there was anger and disappointment – and rightly so. But I don’t focus on the outside noise, only what is going on in here. It’s easier said than done but we know we need to be better and turn the corner.”
Despite the backlash from the previous week, it’s evident that fans will rally behind the team at the start of the Livingston match—a desire for unity is palpable in the lead-up to the game. However, it falls upon the team to demonstrate their resilience and uplift the supporters’ spirits during the holiday season.
A victory tomorrow would mark just the initial stride in what could be a tense second half of the season. Nevertheless, witnessing the team return to their winning ways would undoubtedly be a fantastic sight.
With two away fixtures and a home derby against Rangers looming, Celtic must kick off a demanding stretch of ten days with a triumph to chart a positive course for the battles ahead.
