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Boyhood Celtic fan Shane Duffy saw the opportunity to win Ten In A Row as a once in a lifetime opportunity.
But the dream is turning into a nightmare with his dubious performance against Aberdeen doing little to silence a growing section of skeptics among the Hoops faithful.
Fans of the Republic of Ireland team swear by their patron, but something is clearly not working for the 28-year-old in the Premiership.
The gaffe that allowed Aberdeen in to make it 2-1 was a real surprise and illustrated a player lacking confidence and clarity of thought.
But to Duffy’s immense credit, he stood up to his critics before the showdown with the Dons and offered no excuses for his displays and those of his teammates during their losses to Rangers and Milan.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “As players, you have to leave it behind.
“Personally, my form has not been good at the moment.
“But I’ve been here before and I just have to think, go back to what I’m used to.
“I have had two bad games in which he is not at my level.
“I’m my biggest critic too, so I know it’s not good enough.
“And I know that Celtic fans and my teammates will not be happy with me.
“I know what I can contribute and it is much better than what I am showing.
“I just have to keep going, keep working hard and believe that I can get back to the way I am capable.”
Expert Paul Hartley praised the stopper for his courageous decision to step up despite his nightmarish streak since he sealed a £ 2m loan from Brighton.
But the brutal reality is that, and Duffy will be well aware of this, Celtic fans will not be in the mood to forgive him after he was directly involved in another display full of errors.
Yes, Duffy shouldn’t be criticized for doing the right thing, but with the stakes so high, his act of contrition will only go so far.
And manager Neil Lennon, who was so supportive of his man, couldn’t help but blame his bottom line for lost points at Pittodrie.
Having conviction is a prerequisite to starring in Celtic, but eliminating the mistakes that force you to put your hands up in the first place is what will truly define Duffy and his decadent career at Hoops.
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