Callum McGregor sparked furious backlash from Celtic supporters after walking straight down the tunnel following a 3-1 Europa League collapse against Ferencvaros. The skipper ducked facing angry fans, leaving teammates confused ahead of a crucial weekend derby.
The Parkhead meltdown follows a 5-1 disaster against LASK and a derby defeat at Ibrox. Celtic’s defense crumbled again under pressure as McGregor struggled in the defensive midfield role. While Kieran Tierney and Cameron Carter-Vickers walked toward the North Curve to face the Green Brigade, McGregor turned his back. Carter-Vickers looked over in disbelief as his captain headed for the dressing room. Some punters branded the skipper’s move as “disgraceful”.
Ex-boss Neil Lennon defended McGregor’s exit, arguing: “Every time there’s a bad defeat, Callum McGregor is out in front of the cameras fronting up,” before adding, “Some of the other players need to step up now.”
McGregor admitted the team is struggling on the pitch. “It was tough. They scored at good times and it’s a sore one. We have to stick together now,” he conceded. He acknowledged the visible flaws, adding: “You can see that it’s a little bit broken in how we want to play, it’s a bit nervy and awkward at times. But we have to fight our way through this.”
The captain urged unity across the entire club. “We need to be together – everyone. We need the players, the supporters and the staff. The only way through it is hard work. If you keep working, you might get a bit of luck.”
Pressure is mounting rapidly at Parkhead. “We need a moment to drop for and hopefully the thing will turn. This is a tough period and that’s two bad results, but we have to stick together. You can see how quickly it starts to come down on top of you.”
McGregor emphasized the demand for senior stars to lead. “We need the experienced ones now to stick together and pull everyone. This is a relatively new group and we have to learn and get to the level as quickly as possible.”
With Rangers visiting Parkhead on Sunday, Celtic face an immediate test. “You don’t get much leeway but we have to stay together and keep trying to do the basics. The ultimate test at the weekend is that we have to win the game.”
