NafisaCeltic captain Callum McGregor delivered a blunt assessment of his team’s performances earlier this week, warning that the Hoops were wasting entire periods of football because their shape and overall organisation were not right.
His words were difficult to ignore at the time, particularly given the growing frustration surrounding Celtic’s performances. But Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Falkirk has made that warning look even more significant, with the champions conceding twice inside the opening 38 minutes and leaving themselves with an enormous task before the interval had even arrived.
McGregor’s criticism was not simply about one poor result or an isolated mistake. He was questioning the way Celtic were functioning as a team, and the events at Falkirk provided another uncomfortable example of the problems he had identified.
MCGREGOR’S WORDS WERE A CLEAR WARNING
Following Celtic’s 2-2 draw with Dundee United, McGregor did not hide his frustration when discussing the team’s first-half performance.
The Celtic captain said:
“We waste 45 minutes of football, we don’t really do things properly, the shape of the team isn’t right.”
It was a remarkably direct assessment from one of the most experienced figures in the dressing room. McGregor was effectively admitting that Celtic were not performing with the organisation and discipline expected of them, particularly during the opening stages of matches.
The reference to wasting 45 minutes was especially striking. Celtic had struggled to impose themselves during the first half against Dundee United, leaving themselves with work to do after the break.
The captain’s concern was that the team were repeatedly making life difficult for themselves instead of playing with the structure and control required to dominate opponents.
Sunday’s trip to Falkirk only strengthened the relevance of those comments.
CELTIC CONCEDE TWICE BEFORE HALF-TIME
Celtic could hardly have made a worse start at Falkirk Stadium.
Just three minutes into the match, Ethan Ross put the hosts ahead after Cameron Carter-Vickers failed to deal with Ryan Strain’s delivery into the penalty area. The defender’s attempted intervention instead presented Ross with an opportunity he was happy to accept.
It was precisely the sort of defensive lapse that leaves a team chasing a match before they have had an opportunity to establish themselves.
Celtic had opportunities to respond. Camilo Duran struck the post after getting in behind the Falkirk defence, while Scott Bain produced important saves to deny the visitors an equaliser.
However, the Hoops continued to struggle to turn their possession and attacking moments into goals.
Then came another blow.
In the 38th minute, Scott Tanser collected a pass from Owen Eames, found space through the Celtic defence and fired beyond Sam Johnstone to make it 2-0.
Within the opening 45 minutes, Celtic had gone from starting the match level to trailing by two goals. Their defensive organisation had been exposed twice, and they were heading towards the interval with a mountain to climb.
For a team whose captain had just complained about wasting the first 45 minutes of football, the timing could hardly have been more uncomfortable.
THE FIRST HALF AGAIN BECAME CELTIC’S PROBLEM
McGregor’s criticism now looks particularly relevant because the Falkirk defeat was not simply about failing to take chances.
Celtic had opportunities, with Duran hitting the woodwork and Bain repeatedly keeping the visitors out. But the attacking frustration cannot completely disguise what happened at the other end of the pitch.
The champions conceded after only three minutes and then allowed Tanser to double Falkirk’s advantage before half-time. Both goals left Celtic facing questions about their defensive concentration and the way they were protecting their own penalty area.
McGregor had specifically highlighted the team’s shape and the need to do things properly. Against Falkirk, Celtic again looked vulnerable when they needed to be organised and switched on.
There is an important distinction between a team simply having a poor first half and a team repeatedly giving opponents opportunities to take control of matches. Celtic’s early concession placed them under immediate pressure, while the second goal made their situation considerably worse.
By the time the half-time whistle arrived, Falkirk had already done enough to put themselves in a commanding position.
A SECOND HALF RESPONSE WAS NOT ENOUGH
Celtic attempted to fight their way back into the contest after the interval, but the damage had already been done.
They continued to create opportunities, and Bain remained the biggest obstacle between the visitors and a goal. The former Celtic goalkeeper produced an outstanding performance, making 10 saves as his current side protected their advantage.
Falkirk even thought they had added a third goal when Jacob Murrell found the net early in the second half, only for VAR to rule it out for handball.
Celtic pushed forward but could not find a way through. Their attacking pressure ultimately produced no goals, leaving them to accept a damaging 2-0 defeat.
The result means the champions have suffered another setback in a difficult run of form, with their latest defeat adding to the concerns surrounding their performances.
MCGREGOR’S WARNING NOW CARRIES EVEN MORE WEIGHT
McGregor’s words were significant because they came from inside the dressing room. He was not offering an outside opinion or simply reacting to criticism from supporters. He was describing problems he could see within the team itself.
His warning about wasting 45 minutes has now been followed by a match in which Celtic conceded twice before half-time and spent the remainder of the afternoon trying unsuccessfully to recover.
The captain’s reference to the team’s shape being wrong also becomes difficult to overlook after the defensive mistakes that allowed Ross and Tanser to score.
Celtic cannot simply point to Bain’s excellent performance or their missed chances as the entire explanation for what happened. Those factors mattered, but they do not erase the problems exposed during the opening 38 minutes.
McGregor had already made clear that Celtic needed to start doing things properly and stop throwing away entire periods of football.
At Falkirk, his warning was followed by another first-half collapse. And with the Hoops leaving empty-handed, the captain’s assessment has become an even bigger talking point.
Nafisa
