WHETHER football should be about the journey or the destination is not a new debate.
Back in the 1970s the Dutch got so hung up about playing the game the "right way" that they forgot to actually win anything. Winning ugly was not something that gave them any kind of satisfaction. Ronny Deila seems to be of a similar mindset.
The Celtic manager is not as stubborn or idealistic as Cruyff, Neeskens, Rep et al but, like them, there is a determination to see his team play with a certain style and purpose. When they do not - as was the case against Dundee on Saturday - it clearly frustrates the Norwegian, even if the Celtic players have developed a useful habit of grinding out results when they are far from their best.
Unlike the Dutch, however, you suspect Deila's annoyance stems not from a desire to witness beautiful football just for the sake of it but because, more pragmatically, he knows there are only so many times a team can put in a sub-par performance and get away with it. Celtic found a way to extend their undefeated run to eight matches and have now won their last five league games.
They stay top of the SPFL Premiership with a game in hand, and will probably go on to win the title by some distance. Dundee, though, created sufficient chances to defeat them on Saturday and Salzburg may not be as profligate when they visit Celtic Park on Thursday for what is shaping up to be one of the most significant games of Celtic's season.
That is what concerns Deila. A win for his side will guarantee them a place in the last 32 of the Europa League, a tournament that offers Celtic and their supporters some respite from domestic drudgery, but they will need to play significantly better than this.
Deila will at least be able to call upon his captain once again. Without the suspended Scott Brown, Celtic looked flat at times on Saturday, unable to spark into life following the international break. Kris Commons, who returned to the side for the first time since the defeat by Hamilton Academical on October 5, could not get them going, while Anthony Stokes and John Guidetti - scorer of the first and second Celtic goals respectively - offered inspiration only in flashes.
Celtic's brightest performer on the day was James Forrest who, in the first half especially, looked to be in the mood in what was his first home appearance since August. There is an exciting unpredictability about the winger that sets him apart from his peers and, following yet another lengthy spell on the sidelines, the hope now is that he can stay free from injury and enjoy a sustained run in the side.
"It's great to have him back," said Adam Matthews, the Celtic full-back. "He showed today exactly what he can do for the team. I think he's only going to get better with more games. Hopefully he can keep playing like that and keep proving himself to people.
"We've both been injured so we've spent a lot of time together recently. Hopefully we can get a good partnership going. Because James can take a player on, it means I don't have to go forward so much so I don't mind that. It means I can just give it to him and get a rest."
Dundee deserve credit for the positive manner in which they tried to play the game, even if they ultimately left Celtic Park with nothing to show for it. With Gary Harkins given space to control things in the middle of the pitch - Brown, you suspect, wouldn't have allowed that - they were able to create a number of chances that were then missed, blocked or ruled out for offside.
Paul Hartley's side gave themselves a chance of leaving with a point with a goal after 58 minutes. It was a landmark moment for David Clarkson as he became the first Dundee player to score in each of his first seven games for the club. Should he score in next weekend's William Hill Scottish Cup tie against Aberdeen and then the league game against Inverness Caledonian Thistle the Saturday after that, Clarkson will equal a club record of scoring in nine consecutive games set in season 1920/21.
"The record is brilliant but there's more to him than just his return in goals," said defender James McPake, who had a 'goal' ruled out on Saturday for offside. "There's the work he does, his hold-up play, everything. He's a big player for us now."
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