Callum McGregor warned there is no hiding place for Celtic's underperforming players as he admitted they are in grave danger of relinquishing their William Hill Premiership title if they do not step up to the mark.
The beleaguered champions have slipped eight points behind early pacesetters Hearts after dropping 10 points in their opening nine matches and losing each of their last two in the league.
While the Hoops board and – more recently – manager Brendan Rodgers have come under fire from supporters for their poor start to the campaign, captain McGregor said: "The players always have to take responsibility, I’ve been saying it since day one.
"Even with the distraction of the board and signings and everything else, I’ve been the one who has said 'no, no, no, the players have got to take responsibility’.
"The only guys who can fix it are the guys on the pitch. Yes, I understand, we’re in a difficult moment, but the only people who are coming to save you is yourself.
"We can’t be looking at who is going to take the baton off you – we have to fix it. And what we have to do is learn quicker than we’re learning at the minute or else we won’t fix it, it’s as simple as that.
"I’ve been saying it every week since the season started.
"I think the players understand the situation, but we need to turn that into action on the pitch.
"I see it on Thursday night (against Sturm Graz) when we were excellent. But we need to back it up three days later and then another three days later we’ve got to do the same.
"That’s where we are, we’re showing flashes, but not on a consistent enough basis."
Celtic’s grim predicament was highlighted in Sunday’s limp 3-1 defeat away to buoyant Hearts.
With key quartet Daizen Maeda, Kelechi Iheanacho, Alistair Johnston and Cameron Carter-Vickers out injured, Rodgers pitched the relatively unproven trio of Colby Donovan, Dane Murray and Johnny Kenny into his starting XI.
Centre-back Murray, 22, had a particularly tough afternoon at Tynecastle as he scored an own goal and gave away a penalty, but McGregor said: "Listen, the young players are exempt from this because they need help as well.
"When young guys get chucked into the team, it’s the responsibility of the other players to protect them because they need time to develop, to get better, to make mistakes.
"Colby and Dano have done really well and have deserved to go into the team. It’s up to us to protect them when they’re in there.
"I’ve been there as a young player when I’ve made mistakes. You need senior players around you to pick you back up.
"They need time to learn and develop into what could be really good Celtic players."
Celtic have not faced an eight-point deficit at the top of the league since Steven Gerrard’s Rangers surged to the title in 2020-21.
Asked about the task of reeling in Hearts, McGregor said: "They’re eight points clear of us, and we’re now the team that are chasing.
"If they’re the guys at the top, then of course, we have to try to chase them."
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