CELTIC’S on-loan winger Patrick Roberts admits he understands why Hoops fans reacted angrily at the interval and full-time in the abysmal midweek goalless performance against Dundee at Parkhead.
The Manchester City teenager, who has agreed an 18-month deal at the SPFL champions, made his first start against Paul Hartley’s outfit that saw Ronny Deila’s side’s lead at the top of the Premiership cut to four points over Aberdeen.
Roberts said: “It’s not what you need. At any club you don’t like hearing boos in the stadium. But you can feel their frustration. We see it on the pitch ourselves, we are annoyed ourselves. It was a devastating draw so we have to pick ourselves up.”
The 19-year-old prospect, who cost moneybags City £12million when he was signed from Fulham, is confident he will rise above the negativity ahead of tomorrow’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against Morton in the east end of Glasgow.
He said: “Personally, it doesn’t affect me. I try to stick to my job and do what I’m there to do. I get as frustrated as anyone, I’m like a fan on the pitch. I get angry at myself and I get angry when we’re not winning. It’s just how I am.”I’ve sat in the stands a few times watching games and got angry with players on the pitch. So I can sense their frustration.
“Every player is giving 100 per cent, you can see that in training and they try to bring that to games. Obviously it’s not paying off at the moment, but everyone is giving 100 per cent in games.”The connection between us and the manager is great. There is no disconnect, we just obviously aren’t doing it when it matters. We just need to perform to our maximum.
“Maybe it’s pressure from Aberdeen behind us, I don’t know, but we are not playing to our potential and we need to get back to the way we played near the start of the season.
“The title is close, but we have confidence in ourselves to get the job done because we are all good players. A big club like Celtic should be winning games comfortably. All the boys know that.”
