‘TOO PASSIVE CELTIC,’ DEILA

Celtic are eight points clear in the Premiership with five games left as they go for their fifth title in a row.

However, the Norwegian has been criticised for the team’s performances and he accepted he will come under further pressure after the penalty-kick defeat against their Glasgow rivals.

Deila said: “Overall, it is my responsibility. If that is not good enough, then it is not good enough.

“I’m very disappointed, of course. It was draining. You want to win football games and in the end it was not good enough.

“It was a very hard game, but we now have to fight for the league. We have a very good chance, but there are still five games left, so we look at it after that. In football, you never know.”

The Hoops gaffer admitted his side were “too passive” in their pressing of their opponents in the opening 45 minutes and goalkeeper Craig Gordon agreed their start to the game ultimately cost them.

He said: “We should have performed better in the first-half. If we had done that, we probably would have gone on to win the game.

“I didn’t think Rangers (sic) carried a great threat after half-time. I thought we were the better team once they had scored their second goal and we had chances to go on and win it.”

Gordon claimed referee Craig Thomson wrongly awarded the Ibrox side a shy in the build-up to Barrie McKay’s extra-time strike which put them 2-1 up.

He said: “The throw-in has gone the wrong way. Three players are in front of the referee and he has got involved in something else.

“That said, we should have defended it better, but it was a one-hit wonder. He could probably have hit it another 100 times and not hit it as well.”

Celtic now face an exacting week before meeting Ross County at Parkhead on Sunday.

The international No.1 added: “Of course, the pressure is going to come on all of us now.

“Collectively, we are going to have to deal with it and everyone has to step up and take responsibility and move forward.

“It is a sore result to take, especially here in a derby match and emotions are raw. The fans are going to be unhappy about it.

“It is up to us to fight back. It is very difficult after a result like that, but we have to do that now and go and win the league.

“We are professional sportsmen and that is what we have to do.”