Mowbray denies Celtic panic

Mowbray: Looking to the future

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Manager Tony Mowbray insists there is no 'sign of panic' in the Celtic camp.

The Hoops are out of the UEFA Champions League, the Europa League and the Co-operative Insurance Cup, while they trail Rangers by 10 points in the Scottish Premier League.

And they visit Dunfermline on Sunday in the fifth round of the Active Nation Scottish Cup, a competition which represents Celtic's most realistic chance of winning a trophy this season.

The Bhoys have lost two of their last three games and Mowbray accepts some fans will not be happy with the club's progress since he took charge last summer.

But the former West Brom and Hibs boss pointed out that he is focused on safeguarding the long-term prosperity of the club rather than concentrating of achieving short-term success.

Mowbray is hoping he is given time to prove his detractors wrong and insisted the only signs of panic are amongst the press.

"You're reading your own media, if that makes sense," he said.

Philosophy

"My philosophy doesn't change. I bring a philosophy of what will bring long-term success and continue down that road.

"When it's done, the evidence is there; it'll be on your face.

"I don't see the panic, I don't hear the panic - it doesn't interest me. I get on with my job - building a team that will give us long-term success.

"I've got every respect for our fans," Mowbray added. "They're up there with the best in the world. And yet the manager of the football team can't listen to every fan because we've got millions of them all over the world.

"There'll be some fans who are not very happy, some fans who want change. But there are a lot of fans who I bump into on the street who say, 'keep the faith - it will come'.

Huge disappointment

"We get disappointed - hugely disappointed - when we don't win football matches. But there has to be a bigger picture of where we're taking this club and where we're going to be and the foundations that we put in place."

Asked if Sunday's game had taken on an extra significance following Tuesday night's league defeat at Kilmarnock, Mowbray replied: "No, I don't think so.

"It's a game we have to go and win, as we try to win every game.

"The league game coming on Wednesday night; we've got to go and try to win that. Hopefully, another cup game will come; we've got to try to win that."