Last Chance Saloon For Deila

Celtic’s upcoming match against Ajax is a must-win for Ronny Deila. Wins against Ajax and Fenerbahçe would guarantee Celtic European football beyond Christmas, but despite some impressive attacking performances against these two teams, the Hoops have yet to record a single win in the Europa League campaign this season.

Following two embarrassing defeats to the Norwegian mid-table club Molde, in which Celtic were outclassed, the chances of progression looks bleak for Deila and Celtic.

In their last meeting at Paradise, Celtic beat Ajax 2-1 thanks to goals from James Forrest and former Celtic player, Beram Kayal. The only players that remain in the Celtic squad since that great Champions League night in 2013 are Ambrose, Stokes, Izaguirre Mulgrew, Forrest and Lustig, With Lustig arguably the only player Celtic fans are happy to see start for Celtic in today’s squad.

Ajax, currently top of the Eredivisie, boast a group of impressive young attacking talent such in Klaassen, Milik, El Ghazi and Fischer and have scored 15 goals in their last four league games. This could prove a nightmare for Celtic as their biggest problem in Europe this season has been their defensive frailties, conceding 13 goals in their last six European games.

According to ex-Celt Pat Bonner, Ronny Deila has to adapt his tactics if Celtic are to win.

The way Ajax will play will always give teams an opportunity. They are a young team and a bit brittle at times but they play that typical Dutch/Ajax way of expansive football.

I’ve always said in Europe you have to be more cautious. You can’t play the normal way Celtic play, especially under Ronny when they push full-backs forward and almost leave it two v one at the back. I think you’ve got to be a bit more adaptable and change it a bit to get a chance.

Despite performing well in their own league, Ajax have struggled in Europe this season and their failure has been put down to their inability to defend set pieces and counter-attacking football. Sound familiar?

Frank De Boer is under immense pressure to see Ajax qualify for the next round and has been scrambling to save his reputation.

Previously touted as the future manager of Barcelona, De Boer has been criticised by large sections of the Ajax support this season for his inability to change tactics and adapt to different types of games. Again, sound familiar?

With both managers in desperate need of a win and their stubbornness to change from attacking football, Thursday night promises to be an exciting affair. However, anything less than a victory and three points for Celtic could see Ronny Deila’s time at Celtic end sooner, rather than later.

The board still overwhelmingly back Deila as we saw during Friday’s Annual General Meeting, but will the fans turn to other means to try and force the Norwegian out of the club if he fails in Europe?