Maloney says Celtic’s Hearts win was no seismic turning point

Celtic assistant coach Shaun Maloney said the team’s 7-1 win over Hearts was not a seismic turning point, urging continued improvement as the club prepared to face Celta Vigo in the Europa League on Thursday, October 22. The victory came after Celtic’s 4-1 loss to Benfica and lifted the club four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Maloney praised the performance, particularly the attacking play and the team’s commitment, but said Celtic still had substantial work to do. He said the players might view the result differently, while the coaching staff took encouragement from their effort with and without the ball. Celtic entered the Celta Vigo match without a point from their first two Europa League league-phase games, having also lost to Ferencvaros. Maloney described the fixture as important for the club and its European standing, and said Celtic needed to improve to compete against Celta. He said the club should aspire to reach the later stages of European competitions, but added that coaches, recruitment and other departments would all need to contribute. The match was also set against a dispute between Celtic and sections of its support. The Green Brigade...