Celtic Winger Aiden McGeady has spoken out at the fans after the defeat to ten-man Motherwell on Saturday which effectively took the Title out of Celtic's own hands.
He said: "The fans forget quite easily and fairly quickly. It was only a couple of months ago things were going great, we were still in the Champions League, still in the Scottish Cup, now it is almost the end of the world. "I suppose it is a massive failure not to be winning anything this season.
"We are still playing for the league but if we don't win there is always next year. We got to the last 16 two years in a row, won the league last year, there had been a lot of trophies. People tend to forget fairly easily in football."
"The fans give the team criticism, it is just something you need to deal with," he said. "I know we have not being playing great as a team but we just haven't been scoring goals. We have let our standards slip so you expect to take criticism; it is part and parcel of football."
"I thought against Motherwell we started fairly well but then they got the goal and everything seems to be fairly anxious. In the second half everything was fairly hectic and when the ball doesn't go in the net, the fans become agitated and that's when they start to voice their concerns.
"I don't take too much notice of it. When you are 1-0 down with 85 minutes gone and lose the ball the fans are obviously going to start moaning. But you have to be focused on the pitch and not listen to what is going on about you.
"Everyone is a professional and goes out to win every game and what is said on the terraces, I don't think it affects too many players. Well, it doesn't affect me personally."
Many fans vented their frustration at Gordon Strachan at the weekend, but McGeady believes that this criticism won't affect the managers resolve.
He said: "I think he is fairly thick-skinned the manager, he doesn't really take much notice of the criticism."
I see what the player is trying to do here; it is an attempt to rally the fans for the final stages of the season, but after the many sound bites from him last week about how we were going to win all remaining games it is a bit redundant to do your talking off the pitch at this time.
However stating that the fans have short memories and to "suppose" that it is a massive failure not to be winning anything is ill advised Aiden and points to a player who has already conceded the title.
A quick lesson in PR required methinks.
Yours in Celtic
Clydebuilt