Celtic goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has stressed that the team's recent 3-2 Europa League victory against Besiktas should be viewed as the initial step in their resurgence. The win came after a challenging period for the club, marked by four consecutive losses in European competition and a string of inconsistent results across all tournaments.
Johnstone acknowledged the impact of the team's struggles on morale, stating, "This club's not used to losing and we've probably lost too many games for this club." He added that while the players are honest with themselves and each other, the recent performance demonstrated their commitment. "You could see on Thursday night that the lads put a good fight in and got the result."
Having joined Celtic on loan from Wolves, Johnstone experienced a dip in form that saw him temporarily dropped from the starting lineup. However, he has since returned to play in the last five matches and believes he is finding his rhythm with the team. "To get a run of games for any player, you find your rhythm," Johnstone explained. "It was a new club for me, a new team, so that takes probably a couple of games to get used to as well. I think I've got to get used to them (defenders), they've got to get used to me and that only happens through playing and through games. It's great to be in the team."
Despite the difficulties, Johnstone affirmed he has no regrets about his move to Scotland. "The expectation, rightly so, for this place is to win games. Unfortunately, we hadn't quite met that expectation and the lads know that." He praised the club's environment, noting the passion of the fans and the high standard of players he trains with daily.
Johnstone described the atmosphere at Celtic Park on a European night as "unbelievable" and a significant factor in motivating the team. "As you could see, there were times in the game where we struggled a little bit, but the lads dug in. It's never going to be easy. In the Europa League, you're playing top teams and, after last week's result as well, we were under a lot of pressure. The lads came up with the goods."
With qualification for the next stage still a possibility, Johnstone stated the team's aim is to continue their pursuit. "We've still got a chance to qualify, and that's our aim, so we'll take the next game the same as any other game, that we go to win."
