It is a weekend in which matters of the soul will take precedence for Ronny Deila, the Celtic manager.

 

On Saturday morning Deila will fly to Norway to witness the confirmation of teenage twin daughters, Live and Thile, but he will be at Tannadice in spirit as he awaits confirmation of a quite different kind; the intervention of Dundee United to Aberdeen's title challenge is not the divine kind but it could finally enable Celtic to cross the line and claim their fourth successive Championship.

Victory for the Parkhead side over Dundee on Friday night in tandem with Aberdeen dropping points against Jackie McNamara's side the following day would have the champagne corks popping from as far as Drammen to Parkhead cross.

"It will be a bit strange but in a good way," said Deila. "I will be in Norway because my daughters are having their confirmation so I'm very happy that the fixture list worked out the way it did.

"Now I can fly home on Saturday morning to attend the big occasion. Of course, I will follow the results on the internet.

"It will be a very good night if we become champions but we must do our job first on Friday. I am looking forward to every game now. We have consistency in our performances, although we had a dip at Tannadice on Sunday. I gave the players two days off and they have come back and trained very well so I expect a high-energy display from them."

Deila will spend much of his break this summer looking at ways in which to improve the current squad and prepare them for the rigours of earning the right to compete in the UEFA Champions League.

With three qualifying rounds for Celtic to negotiate, he will stress the requirement to his players for a summer break that does not impact hugely on their levels of fitness or their commitment to progress. It is a mantra that he has followed himself with a dedicated time set aside for reflection at the end of the season in order to facilitate an improvement upon his return.

"I've learned so many things and that's why it is important to get away on vacation and think about what's been done well and what can be done better," said Deila.

"That's when I will make the plans for next season. I do that every year - I come back with a document which makes clear what the next stage for the team is.

"I have to be the leader so I will come back with a document for them all. I will have a conversation with everyone, with the players also, ask them what they're thinking and I will put it all together. I will write a document outlining what the next stage will be, the things we need to improve on to reach our goals."

And he already has an idea of the areas in which he would ideally like to see improvements and not just in the unforgiving environment of the Continent.

Domestically, Celtic will be comfortable winners of the SPFL league title, but the challenge of Aberdeen did not fold at the turn of the year the way that many would have envisaged. Tellingly, the Pittodrie side have actually conducted themselves more consistently against the rest of the top flight sides than Celtic have; it is the head-to-heads with McInnes' side that has been the difference between the two teams. And Deila would like to oversee a Celtic side that conducts their business on the home front far more ruthlessly.

"I think we can score more goals. I think we can be better in small things in training. We can be even fitter," he explained. "When players are getting better then somebody will drop off and show they are not good enough. We always have to be in evolution.

"Players and staff who are always humble and want to learn will make Celtic better. You always must be curious to learn or you will not be good enough."

Part of his remit is in creating a team that keeps the bums on seats at Celtic Park during those weekends when the opposition doesn't carry the sex appeal of a European visitor. Throughout the domestic campaign there have been pockets of empty seats, some occasions more visible than others, and in his ideal world the manner in which Celtic play will encourage supporters to turn out regardless of the weight the opposition carries and use their voice as a means of intimidation.

"It's also a goal to see the attendances grow," he remarked. "I want people to come to the stadium and enjoy what they're seeing. I want them to enjoy the team and to create the kind of atmosphere we get away from home.

"If you have 60,000 like that then it's so hard to play against. Celtic Park should be our castle - NOBODY should beat us at Celtic Park. We want to make a Celtic Park a place they really, really hate to come to."

Meanwhile, it was confirmed by the Scotland PFA yesterday afternoon that Deila is one of four candidates who could be named as Manager of the Year; Aberdeen's Derek McInnes, Hearts manager Robbie Neilson and Inverness Caledonian Thistle boss John Hughes make up the rest of the shortlist.

There was a stage in the early weeks of the season when many observers had cause to suspect that Deila would not be on the scene when the end of season gongs were sent out for inscription. If Deila harboured any doubts he has maintained them privately and he has declared himself honoured with his inclusion.

"It is a big honour," he said. "It is a statement that we have done something well and for me it is important to share these things with my team, my staff and the players.

"It is important for me to include my staff because we have worked very closely together and I am very into working as a team. We have done that all season. I get the good things when it is going good but I also get the bad things when it is going bad. We have done something positive and we get the recognition for that."