Celtic fans have been unimpressed with their club’s trip to Dubai
Celtic’s trip to Dubai continues to generate controversy, but not all of it is strictly fact-based.
Yes, the squad and backroom staff have travelled to the UAE on non-essential business at the height of a pandemic.
Yes, they headed off almost immediately after losing to their greatest rivals and falling 19 points behind in the title race.
No, Diego Laxalt was not getting his hair braided by Shane Duffy by the pool. At least not as far as we know.
That didn’t stop a mocked-up photo doing the rounds on Sunday night.
Neil Lennon’s men looking increasingly unlikely to secure 10-in-a-row coupled with images, real or otherwise, showing the manager and Scott Brown poolside have fuelled the frustration among supporters.
That was evident on Monday night’s edition of Superscoreboard on Radio Clyde, with Celtic fan Declan from Port Glasgow highlighting what he believes is a lack of fitness in Lennon’s squad.
He said: “The two Celtic centre-halves were 30 yards apart. It’s down to the general condition of the Celtic players.
“We’re no fit. Laxalt’s caught up that park, 30 yards out of position. (Nir) Bitton, I’ve seen milk turn quicker than Bitton, he’s out of position.
“(Kris) Ajer’s struggling to get back. It all comes because we pressed that game for an hour and we’re gassed.
“They’re fitter than us. They’re faster than us. They know what they’re doing on the park, they’re drilled.
“It’s a total regression, that’s been caused because we’re no fit.”
The caller added: “There’s a team in Glasgow, right, training for a fixture at the weekend. Practicing set-pieces, practicing their fitness, practicing their drills, and there’s a team lying in Dubai round a pool 19 points behind getting their hair braided aff a Shane Duffy.
“It’s unacceptable. We’ve all seen the pictures, let’s not lie about it.”
Host Gordon Duncan replied: “See this is the thing. By the way, I obviously got the usual on Twitter, ‘How can you say that they pictures might not be real?’, that’s not what I said.
“I was looking for a sort of general understanding as to how tricky these things can be for broadcasters at times, and that’s just summed it up.
“I’m not sure Laxalt is getting his hair braided by Shane Duffy in the picture, so there we go. that’s proven my point.”
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