Martin O'Neill has backed Callum McGregor's view that Celtic have been losing control in spells, after Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Dundee United prompted fresh criticism. McGregor had described some moments as being "a bit basketball", and O'Neill said he was in full agreement with the captain. He also argued that the issue is tied to players still getting used to one another.
O'Neill's read on the attack
Speaking to the BBC, O'Neill said he "totally agree[d]" that Callum Osmand is "essentially a centre forward" and that Camilo Duran is "really a centre forward". He added that Osmand would probably play off somebody strong alongside him, and said he was not sure the youngster could lead the line on his own.
That links directly to the personnel problem he sees. Osmand has only five league appearances this season, while Duran has 11, and O'Neill said a number of players did not even do pre-season with Celtic and came in quite late on.
McGregor's own numbers do not suggest a midfielder in collapse, either. He has a 6.86 league rating this season, and 6.69 across his last five matches, which fits the idea that Celtic's issue is more about structure than one man falling away.
Sunday at Falkirk
The wider league position is still strong. Celtic have 28 points from 11 league matches and a four-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership, and they can move seven points clear if they beat Falkirk vs Celtic on Sunday.
O'Neill said the squad need to "hang in there" because he thinks they are still bedding in, not unraveling. That case is helped by the numbers, even if the performances are not fully convincing: Celtic have three Europa League defeats from three this season, and the control issue has now surfaced again after the Dundee United draw.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
