PAUL McSTAY, the former Celtic captain, last night branded the current side unfit and insisted they must take most of the blame for the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers which looks sure to bring an end to Ronny Deila’s time as manager.

The Parkhead legend attended Sunday’s match at Hampden and was left deeply disappointed by the result and overall performance, especially with the energy levels which he felt were far less among the Celtic team compared to the Rangers players.

Since retiring in 1997, McStay has always been a reluctant critic of the one club he played for but even he felt the need to highlight the deficiencies of Deila’s defeated side in what for him was a rare public appearance.

Read more: Celtic legend Paul McStay says he doesn't feel sorry for Ronny Deila

Asked about the Celtic manager’s apparent preference for his players to play a pressing game, McStay said: “It wasn't there at all on Sunday. That's why Rangers took control of the game - because Celtic weren't pressing. That high intensity wasn't there.

“The fitness side surprised me. I was thinking, 'why aren't they pressing? Are these part of the tactics, are they sitting off?' But as the game went on I thought a few of the players looked tired. They looked as if they were dying on their feet and that was after 70 minutes.

"To play that high-pressure game you've got to be fit so that comes down to what players do on the training pitch. On my experience, you train the way you want to play. If you train and play at a high intensity in small games, I'd imagine you take that into the game.”

The Herald:

McStay did not believe Deila should be showered with sympathy because, despite his troubles, he remains manager of Celtic at least until the end of this campaign.

"I don't feel sorry for Ronny from the point of view that he is managing one of the biggest clubs in the world," he said. "Ronny will have been delighted to have been given that opportunity.

"He has given it his best shot and he will continue to do that I think between now and the end of the season.

"For me any coach would love to have had an opportunity like that, so I think he should enjoy it and try to achieve the best he can. That means winning the league."

Deila will lose his job at the end of the season and Peter Lawwell, the chief executive, has come under even more criticism than the manager from the supporters over the way he has ran the club during the four-year absence of Rangers.

But McStay insisted the players themselves must take responsibility for Sunday and the other disappointments from a season which will still in all probability end with Celtic’s fifth league title in a row.

Read more: Ten reasons why Ronny Deila hasn't cut it as Celtic manager

“When you come off the park you have to look at yourself in the mirror and ask if you've given everything," he said. “If you have that's a good starting point. Then you look at the technical side - did you do what you're supposed to do in your position, did you actually play the game you're supposed to?

“Did you implement the instructions the coach gave you as a team before the game? Then physically, were you in the proper physical state to play that game? And there's the psychology bit as well. Looking at all of those, you ask 'did we do it right?' And for me there weren't enough ticks against those things on Sunday.”

McStay has lived in Sydney for the past six years but has kept a close eye on what has been going on during the Deila reign.

The Herald:

The now 52-year-old, who has a long-awaited autobiography out later this year, has been left as frustrated as any other supporter with the manager’s refusal to change his system of having only one striker in the starting eleven.

“It’s not the Celtic way. I agree with you,” said McStay who played 678 times for the club. “When I got into the game it was the 4-4-2, or 4-3-3 with Davie Provan or wee Joe Miller playing wide. There was always two through the middle and I think that is one of the most exciting things about Celtic over the many years.

“The dynamic of the two up-front, be it Frank McAvennie and Andy Walker, Charlie Nicholas and George McCluskey or Frank McGarvey, people like that. I found that one of the exciting things about playing for Celtic was those partnerships.

“Why Ronny goes with one up front, I am not sure. Maybe that is how the game is progressed and that is what is required. But on Sunday if he had played with two up-front, or at least two wide men pressing a bit more up the park, then Rangers would not have been as comfortable on the ball.

"In days gone by Charlie had about 50 goals by Christmas and Murdo McLeod would have scored a lot of goals. Part of the disappointment of Celtic fans is that aspect. They have not been at entertaining as Celtic teams of the past."

Paul McStay’s autobiography ‘The Maestro’ is available at www.kickstarter.com/projects/maestrosports/1540733687?token=e20d109d