Luke McCowan asked “when has it ever been this bad?” in the wake of Celtic’s 3-1 home defeat by Rangers on Saturday.
Despite leading 1-0 at half-time, the defending champions succumbed to three second-half goals over a 22-minute period as Rangers drew level on points with their city rivals.
Both Glasgow sides trail Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts by six points with 20 of 38 fixtures played.
Celtic opened the season with five wins and two draws from nine in the league, with manager Brendan Rodgers leaving after successive losses to Dundee and Hearts.
Interim boss Martin O’Neill enjoyed five straight league wins, but incumbent Wilfried Nancy has won just two of his six Premiership games in charge, with Saturday’s defeat a fourth league loss.
Having also lost 3-1 to St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup final, Celtic have missed out on the past two domestic cups after winning 13 of the previous 17. They have also won 13 of the past 14 league titles.
“When has it ever been this bad? It’s never,” said midfielder McCowan, who joined Celtic in the summer of 2024.
“You’re asking fans to react to something for the first time they’re seeing it, and us as players for the first time we’re feeling it.”
The former Dundee player added: “It’s not nice. I’ll tell you that as a player’s perspective. It doesn’t leave you. It haunts you every minute of every day when you’re not winning.
“Getting home, not speaking to anybody, sitting on the couch, not moving, just doing that black screen instead of having the darts or having the football highlights on.
“But, as I said, that is what it comes with playing with Celtic. You need to take that pressure on. You need to get there. You need to show personality and at times within games, we’ve not done that good enough.
“Within the structure, we’ve not done it good enough. But that’s just the kind of rubbish message just now. We need to stick together and keep going.”
It was the second time in a matter of weeks that Celtic had led by one at the break but ended up losing after a similar defeat away to Dundee United.
“Rangers changed their shape and we didn’t react well enough to it,” said McCowan.
“We just aren’t reacting to it as well as we should be. It’s just not good enough.
“I’m probably going to say that at least 20 times in these interviews, but it needs to be better.
“Rangers can’t be coming here and winning 3-1. It’s just not good enough.”
