Celtic’s sudden dose of Old Firm blues vs Rangers can be fixed with simple prescription after bruising week

It is, in the language of an experienced defender accustomed to the rhythms of elite football, to stick together. That message has acquired greater urgency after a bruising few days for Martin O’Neill’s side. Celtic followed last weekend’s 3-0 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final defeat by Rangers with a 3-1 loss at home to Hungarian side Ferencvaros in their Europa League opener on Thursday.

The temptation for Carter-Vickers would be to search for an easy explanation: a defensive error, a lack of confidence, or the disruption caused by a changing squad. Instead, he offered something rather more measured. There was no attempt to disguise the disappointment of losing to a Ferencvaros side that currently occupies fifth spot in the Hungarian league, but neither was there any suggestion that the dressing room had fractured under the strain.

“Difficult game. Obviously it didn't go our way,” the American reflected. “Off the back of last weekend as well we’re disappointed with both of those. But I think we've got to stick together as a team, as a group, and really double down on what we believe and the way we want to play and just keep trying to improve.”

It was an appeal for perspective from a player who has been at Celtic long enough to understand how quickly the mood around the club can change. Losing heavily at Ibrox left O’Neill’s side facing questions before Ferencvaros exposed Celtic’s vulnerabilities at precisely the moments when the hosts appeared to have regained control.

Celtic equalised through Mika Baur shortly before half-time, only to concede again moments later. Within two minutes of the restart, former Celtic winger Daniel Arzani extended the visitors’ advantage with a superb strike.

Carter-Vickers: It's on us to meet fans’ expectations

For Carter-Vickers, the sequence was symptomatic of the period Celtic currently find themselves navigating. “Sometimes it can feel like that when you are in a moment like we are at the moment,” he stated. “Things don't quite go your way and that's football. But like I said, all we can do as a group is keep sticking together and double down on what we believe in and keep trying to improve.”

That emphasis on continuity is significant. Celtic have a manager in O’Neill who has carried out substantial change on last season's title-winning squad, with ten new players arriving during the summer. Carter-Vickers acknowledged that such turnover inevitably requires patience, even if he stopped short of suggesting fans should lower their expectations.

“I'll never be one to say what fans expect or what fans want,” he admitted. “I think as players, it's on us to meet those expectations. I’m never going to say what the fans should feel or what they should expect. As players, we just want to meet the demands and make them as happy as we can.”

He pointed to his experience of previous Celtic rebuilds as evidence that progress is not always immediate. Carter-Vickers’ first season under Ange Postecoglou, he recalled, improved dramatically after its opening six months. The same pattern occurred when Brendan Rodgers returned. “We're probably at the stage now where we've had quite a big turnover of players,” he said. “So it's just about sticking to the same plan and sticking to the process as much as you can.”

Carter-Vickers suggested Celtic must accept the demands of the present while trusting that greater familiarity will eventually produce greater consistency. That argument will be tested immediately.

Rangers rematch can alter the narrative

Sunday brings another Old Firm meeting with Rangers, this time with Celtic back in front of their own supporters. The significance of the fixture has been heightened by the events of the past week, but Carter-Vickers sees that pressure as an opportunity rather than an additional burden.

“100 percent. That's what we want to do,” he responded when asked whether facing Rangers again represented the perfect opportunity to alter the narrative. “We want to come out on Sunday, with the crowd behind us and everyone together and try to put a performance together that will get the result we want.

“As a Celtic player, that's what you want - 60,000 fans behind you and pushing the team on. If we can get that, I think it'll create a good atmosphere for us to perform. What's happened in the last two games is in the past. All we can do is focus on the next game and try to improve and try to perform.”

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