The Hoops are toiling with just three wins in their last 10 games but it's still not hit rock bottom like it did a few years ago

Scott Bain put up the shutters to pile more misery on some of his old Parkhead pals.

But there was some encouragement from the Falkirk keeper as he insisted the current situation at Celtic could be worse. Bain picked up an incredible 13 winners’ medals during his seven years with Celts. He was also around during the disastrous Covid campaign when Neil Lennon’s Hoops failed in their bid to land 10-in-a-row. Bain spoke to some of his former teammates after Sunday’s stunning 2-0 win for the Bairns.

And he said: “Did the say anything? They did, aye, a few expletives. No, they're obviously disappointed. It's a club that demands a lot of you. I'm really tight with a lot of those boys and I've spent a lot of my life really with some of them. They're disappointed but the boys that I know have congratulated me in terms of what a performance it was.

“I feel sorry for the boys, it's a difficult place to be when it's not going well. But I've seen them worse, you know what I mean? They've been worse and I was there when they were worse.

"There's obviously overreaction at times with fans and things like that because it's a very emotional club and it's a club that's rooted deep in people's families and across generations. So they demand a lot of you.

“The only way to get through it is to stand up and puff your chest out and keep going, you can't buckle to the fans or the pressure or the results. They've been fine in the league. Obviously the last two results are a bit damning for them but in terms of the league I don't feel there's been any issues and I think maybe these little issues here have probably been brought on from outside noise and extra pressures on to the players. Obviously they've not performed as well in Europe as Celtic have recently, outwith your Champions League disasters, if I can say that.”

Celtic are still top of the Premiership despite dropping five points in their last two games against Dundee United and Falkirk. Martin O’Neill is under pressure with the Hoops winning just three of their last 10 games and suffering six defeats across all competitions. But it’s still not got to the stage seen five years ago when locked-out fans lost their shape outside the stadium while the team toiled in it.

Bain said: “Celtic were really unbeatable when I played the majority of my games (under Brendan Rodgers) so I didn't really feel that until I came in with the signing of Vasilis Barkas and I played a game here and there. I always found it difficult in general to play a game, come out of the team and play a game a few months later, play a couple of games here and come out.

“And then eventually I played a game once a year – what are you supposed to do with that? It's almost impossible. I never felt the full brunt of it but the COVID season was really tough and that wasn't even with fans in the stadium. I think no fans made it even worse.

“But for the majority of my time there it's been sweet, the club was in a really good place and I think it'll maybe take a few signings here and there, a few ideas here and there and they'll be back there, I don't think it'll take much.”

Bain is in a happy place right now – on top form and back in the hunt for the national side. Bain was outstanding against Celts with Bairns fans chanting for their main man to be Scotland No.1 as their in-form side made it four wins on the spin to move up to fourth in the league.

He said: “Is there a drink in the stadium?! No, the fans have been brilliant with me. I feel like I'm performing really well so it's nice that they sing that. I hope that I'm in the next squad, I really enjoyed working with the manager and seeing his ideas and how he works. As long as I go away and put my best foot forward I'm happy to give my best account of myself out there.”