NafisaThe timing of Martin O’Neill’s latest comments has left Celtic supporters with another major concern ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm rematch.
After Celtic’s 3-1 Europa League defeat to Ferencváros, O’Neill admitted that he is still trying to work out how to get the best out of his best players, suggesting that his side may need to find another way of playing.
That would be understandable early in a season.
But Celtic are now heading into their 11th competitive game of the campaign, and the admission has inevitably raised questions about why the manager is still searching for his strongest formula with Rangers arriving at Celtic Park this weekend. Celtic had already won their opening six Premiership matches before the disastrous 3-0 defeat at Ibrox.
O’Neill’s admission raises eyebrows
O’Neill’s latest comments came after another night in which Celtic failed to produce the response he had demanded following their Ibrox humiliation.
The manager had previously insisted that his players would bounce back.
Instead, Ferencváros left Celtic Park with a 3-1 victory, meaning O’Neill’s side have now suffered consecutive defeats immediately before Sunday’s return meeting with Rangers.
And rather than suggesting that his preferred system is already firmly established, O’Neill has now admitted that Celtic may need to change their approach.
“If we’re going to get the best out of our best players… we’re going to have to find another way,” O’Neill said.
On its own, that statement does not necessarily mean Celtic are tactically lost.
But the timing is what has made it particularly uncomfortable.
The club are not preparing for their first competitive fixture of the season. They have already played 11 games across their campaign, and O’Neill is still talking about finding the right way to accommodate his most important players.
That is bound to leave supporters wondering what exactly has been worked on during pre-season.
Why the timing is worrying
The concern is amplified by what happened at Ibrox.
Rangers were aggressive, energetic and decisive during their 3-0 victory, while Celtic struggled to match their intensity and failed to find an effective response after falling behind. Sky Sports described Rangers as “aggressive, front-footed, confident” and noted that Celtic were the opposite during the first meeting.
O’Neill subsequently demanded greater urgency from his players against Ferencváros.
But Celtic again struggled to turn possession into sustained attacking pressure.
The manager admitted afterwards that his players were too often moving forward before checking back and allowing the opposition to reset.
Now, immediately after another defeat, he is suggesting that a different method may be required to get the best from Celtic’s leading players.
For supporters already questioning the direction of the team, that combination of comments and results is naturally going to create anxiety.
Rangers have already shown Celtic the problem
The biggest issue for O’Neill is that Rangers do not need to guess what Celtic’s weaknesses look like.
Derek McInnes’ side have already exposed them once.
Rangers dominated the first Old Firm meeting, with Dan Neil scoring twice and Kevin Kelsy adding another as Celtic were knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup.
O’Neill admitted afterwards that Celtic were “second best” and described the defeat as a potential “wake-up call”.
The manager therefore needs to demonstrate that he has learned from that match.
Sunday’s game is not simply another fixture where Celtic can experiment with different combinations and systems.
It is a direct opportunity to show that the problems exposed at Ibrox have actually been addressed.
Celtic cannot afford another slow start
There is also an important distinction between O’Neill saying he is considering how to maximise his best players and saying he does not know his team.
His comments do not necessarily mean Celtic have no tactical plan.
However, after the Ibrox defeat and Ferencváros loss, the admission provides ammunition for supporters who already believe the team lacks a settled identity.
And that is why Sunday’s match suddenly carries even greater significance.
Celtic are back at Parkhead, where they will have their own supporters behind them, but they face a Rangers side that has already demonstrated it can physically and tactically overwhelm them.
O’Neill now has to find the “another way” he spoke about — quickly.
Because if Celtic enter another Old Firm match still searching for the right system, still trying to get their best players functioning together and still failing to attack with the urgency the manager himself has demanded, Rangers will have every opportunity to exploit the same problems again.
The next few days will therefore tell Celtic supporters whether O’Neill’s comments represent a manager intelligently searching for the right solution — or evidence that his team still isn’t ready for another Old Firm battle.
Nafisa
