DEILA BACKS HIS SCOTTISH BHOYS
Deila will keep tabs on all the players within the squad and he believes those who return on the back of positive results can maintain an upbeat mood as the Hoops prepare to embark on their Europa League campaign.
The Hoops gaffer said: “That is important. We really hope that they win and can help Scotland get to the European Championships.
“They come back then in good spirits. You don’t have to lift them. The mood of the national team reflects on the whole country and if we have players in there representing Scotland and getting good results then come back lifted by the experience.”
The additional aspect is that it also helps to prepare players for the demands of European football.
In recent games Celtic have been sloppy defensively with the concession of cheap goals. That lackadaisical aspect to the Parkhead side cost them, particularly in the Champions League play-off against Malmo, but a significant part of the problem is that, domestically, they can afford to make such errors and recover without losing ground in the title race.
Deila is optimistic that the level of international football can encourage the sharpness of thought and focus when his players return to Lennoxtown next week.
He said: “International football is like the highest level of club football and you need to be at your best. The players are tested in that environment and they need to be switched on, concentrating all the time.
“Like Champions League football, one mistake, one poor pass, one lapse in concentration can cost you a game. That helps them develop as players. It helps them to get better and to be sharper and that, in turn, benefits us as a club.
“You always fear when they go out that they might come back injured, but there are good people around them in the international teams and we trust that they are in good hands.”
————————————————————————————–
