Lisbon,

Celtic's players attempted to come to terms with the departure of their coach Wim Jansen yesterday, but the club captain, Tom Boyd, admitted that it was difficult for them.

Boyd also urged the board of directors to put a new coach in place as soon as possible, rather than have an action replay of their troubled summer of a year ago, when the Parkhead players did not meet their new, and now departing, coach, Jansen, until they had travelled to Holland for their pre-season warm-up games.

Boyd believes that scenario created a problem for the team, who started off the premier division campaign with two defeats. Now he insists: ''I would hope that the directors appoint someone as quickly as possible, because we don't want to be in the same position as we were last summer when we did not know what was happening.

''This has been a blow for the players, especially the players that Wim has brought to the club. There is just so much uncertainty now and that is not a good thing as we all know.

''Basically, Wim had brought his own thoughts to this club and he had us playing in a certain way and we have become accustomed to that and now it might all change.

''None of the players wanted to see Wim go, but that has happened and we cannot change it. But what is important is that we all get together in the dressing-room and continue what we have started with this league championship victory.''

Boyd was clearly upset - as were all the players - at the manner and the timing of Jansen's departure. He said: ''Wim never ever brought his problems into the dressing-room. He would not allow that to deflect us from the job we had to do.

''We knew that there were problems, but he never told us what they were and I don't think any of us thought that they were so bad that it would lead to this. Look, nothing can take away from what we achieved at the weekend.

''That is one of the great moments of my career, but I just wish the celebrations could have lasted longer. This has dampened them.''

As for players who might look at their futures - Paul Lambert has already indicated that he will do so - Boyd believes that there must be a cooling-off period. He says simply: ''We have to wait to find out what the new man wants and what he thinks about the game.

''He may want to change everything. He may want to bring in his own players. He may want to bring in his own tactics. He may want to bring in his own backroom staff and that would be a problem for the club.

''What we needed after the championship win was a period of stability and that is not going to be there for us any more. To some extent we are allowing Rangers to get ahead of us again.

''They have known that Walter Smith is leaving and they have their new coach in place and they have started to get new players and we have done nothing. There would have been new players arriving, if Wim was still to be in charge, but now that there is a new man, we recognise that player changes must come.

''But they will come after Rangers have made their decisions and we might lose ground when we should not do so. I just hope that we can get some stability, because that is the most important thing we need right now.''

Neither Boyd, nor any of the other players, know what might happen - nor do the current back-room staff, although the players' choice of a new manager would be Murdo MacLeod, who would continue the Jansen pattern of play and training.

However, Celtic must wonder whether their supposedly new-look set-up can work. Of course, despite the much trumpeted suggestions that a general manager and a chief coach was something of a revolution, that was not true.

It has also created rifts within the club and managers - or coaches - might just shy away from a situation where conflict seems certain.

qCELTIC supporters' chairman Peter Rafferty yesterday backed Murdo MacLeod's credentials as the man to provide much-needed continuity.

Rafferty, of the Affiliation of Registered Celtic Supporters' Clubs, feels MacLeod's efforts in this campaign mean he has to be persuaded to remain at the club.

He said: ''I would like to see Murdo MacLeod stay on because he has got the qualities required. He knows the players and his knowledge and experience of the Scottish scene will be invaluable. I also feel it would stabilise things for the players if he stayed on as they all stated they respect him.''