Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon has given his backing to under-pressure manager Ronny Deila ahead of Sunday's crunch game at Hearts.
The Norwegian manager oversaw a disappointing European campaign that saw the Scottish champions exit the Europa League at the group stage without winning a match.
Domestically, Celtic lost to Motherwell last time out and could have lost top spot in the Scottish Premiership by the time they travel to Edinburgh to face third-placed Hearts.
Aberdeen – who sit just one point behind Deila's side at the top – host Inverness CT on Saturday and will move into first place with a victory.
Gordon, though, believes Deila has significant ability and should not be facing the level of criticism he has been subjected to.
"There is always going to be criticism at Celtic if you don't win any game," Gordon said.
"But he is a very good coach with good ideas and whether we get the result or not, you can't take that away from him. He is a very talented coach.
"He is very calm, very methodical in trying to get us to play his style and he has very good ideas in the way he sets the team up.
"You are always going to get bad results for any team - the best teams in the world don't win every game, so that is always going to happen."
Gordon, 32, feels Deila would be a good man to turn to for advice if he ever turns his hand to management.
The former Sunderland stopper continued: "I get on with the manager, he has got a lot of good ideas and there is definitely a lot of things that - if and when I go into coaching later on - I would take into it.
"I am sure in the future if that comes up I will be giving him a phone to ask about a few things because there is definitely things in his style and managerial techniques that are good and that I would like to take forward myself."
