Gordon Smith: Kris Commons’ bust-up reminds me of my fall-out with Billy McNeill

KRIS COMMONS is far from the first player to have a go at his bosses after getting substituted.

I remember having a very similar fall-out with Billy McNeill in 1985 when I was taken off while playing for Manchester City in a FA Cup tie against Coventry City.

And, encouragingly for Commons perhaps, I not only lived to tell the tale but was back in the starting line up the next week.

Football is an emotional sport and sometimes you feel compelled to speak up.

That was certainly what happened in my case.

We were losing the game with about a quarter-of-an-hour to go when I saw my number going up on the board.

What infuriated me was not that I was being substituted, but that Billy was sending on a full-back in my place.

This was at a time when I was City’s top goalscorer for the season.

I made my feelings known to the manager as I came off, and we had what you might call a frank exchange of views in the dug-out.

It wasn’t the right way for me to behave, but I felt I had to make my point, which is exactly what I did.

To Billy’s great credit, he didn’t bear any grudges, especially given we ended up losing the match.

When the team was picked the next week, I was back in the starting line-up and I don’t remember being replaced by a full-back after that!

Billy McNeill (PA Archive)

Having heard Kris make his apology, I would like to think he too will be allowed to move on without any recriminations.

It was a slightly different situation in that the outburst appears to have been not with the manager Ronny Deila himself, but his assistants John Collins and John Kennedy.

Deila has intimated the situation is being dealt with internally and that should be that.

Certainly, watching Celtic’s loss to Molde, it was easy to see why Commons was so annoyed.

He had already scored one goal and, in a tie in which they were trying to get back in the game, offered the side’s best chance of another.

There were others on the pitch who looked a much better choice to be taken off, if a change had to be made.

Top of the list would have to be Stefan Johansen, a player who struggled on the night.

He is both Deila’s countryman and his former player at Stromsgodset.

Given those two facts, the manager has to be very careful, lest his team-mates believe he is being given special treatment because that kind of thing would have the power to disrupt the camp.

If Commons, for example, believed that to be the case, it would not be good.

For my money he is the most talented player on Celtic’s books, bar none.

He is the one who can come up with that little moment of magic when they are struggling to break down an opposition team, something they have been doing quite a bit of lately.

I have heard the calls for Deila to be sacked off the back of the defeat to Molde, but I don’t believe he should be.

Yes, he should be judged on European results this season once that campaign is complete.

As things stand Celtic still have three Europa League ties left to play Molde and Ajax at home and Fenerbahce away.

If they win them, they could still go through to the next round, at which point I am sure all will be forgiven.

It is a big if, however.

Defence remains Celtic’s biggest problem.

Deila hasn’t had the best of luck in that area, with summer signing Jozo Simunovic and Charlie Mulgrew both out injured.

In their absence, Efe Ambrose and Dedryck Boyata have looked vulnerable, especially when playing a system that has the full-backs pushing on, forcing them to try to cover against balls played in behind.

If Deila can succeed in sorting it out, I believe he and the team should be fine. Fail, and he is likely to pay the price.

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