Scottish Premiership: Ronny Deila wants consistent Celtic team selection

Celtic manager Ronny Deila is aiming for consistency in his team selection after much chopping and changing during the opening weeks of the season.

The Norwegian made 10 changes for the Premiership trip to Inverness in August, where the Hoops lost 1-0, with six changes for the visit of Motherwell last Sunday when another two points were dropped in a 1-1 draw.

But, following the 3-0 League Cup win over Hearts on Wednesday when the likes of Scott Brown, Craig Gordon and Kris Commons all returned, Deila wants to stick with a settled starting XI.

"We want that," he said. "The first time it was 10 changes, then six last Sunday.

"It is too much but it is not what we wanted, it was what we needed to do.

"We want to have more consistency in the team, that will make us play quicker and better.

"But no one is sure of their place in the team. You have to work every day in training and in matches. That is competition.

"I was very pleased with the team against Hearts.

"They were hard-working and you start with that, to show you really want it. We still need to work to get better relations and tempo but we are progressing.

"We have a lot of matches in the league still.

"Take away the game in Inverness where we changed a lot, we have had some good wins.

"We beat Aberdeen and Dundee United but I am not pleased, I want even more and you will see us progress and progress during the season and the fans will be happy."

Deila talked up his side ahead of Saturday’s trip to St Mirren, who are second bottom of the table with three points from six games.

He said: "We know how good we are when we are on top form.

"We go into matches knowing that if we are performing at 100 per cent then it is very hard to beat us.

"So I am really looking forward to this game to build on what we did against Hearts.

"There are so many games to come. We know our tasks and goals, that has been clear from the start and that has not changed."