Celtic's O’Neill Faces Questions Despite Win Against St Johnstone
Martin O’Neill left Perth with three points and a furrowed brow.
Celtic’s 100% start in the Scottish Premiership survived another examination, a sixth win from six chiselled out against a stubborn St Johnstone side. On paper, it looks routine. On the pitch, and in O’Neill’s mind, it was anything but.
A win that answered little
This was supposed to be an information-gathering night for the veteran manager. He rolled the dice: a debut for on-loan Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, a first Celtic start for Oliver Sorensen, a rare appearance for centre-back Dane Murray, recalls for Sebastian Tounekti and Kasper Hogh. A reshaped XI, a chance to see who he can trust as the fixtures pile up.
He came away none the wiser.
Mika Baur’s first goal for the club eventually separated the sides, yet O’Neill’s post-match reaction told its own story. “I’m not sure what to make of it, really,” he admitted to BBC Sport Scotland, before telling Sky Sports “we’re still well short of it”. Six wins from six, and still searching.
The timing of the uncertainty could hardly be more awkward. Ferencvaros arrive at Celtic Park on Thursday in the Europa League. Rangers twice in quick succession – Premier Sports Cup on Sunday, league the following week. A season-shaping stretch, and a manager still “juggling” players and positions, still trying to piece together a settled side.
Risky rotation and the Duran dilemma
O’Neill was adamant beforehand that the trip to McDiarmid Park mattered deeply in the context of the title defence. That made his five changes feel even bolder. One, in particular, jarred.
Camilo Duran, electric since walking through the door at Celtic, started on the bench. All the pre-match debate focused on how he might dovetail with Hogh – as a strike pair, or with Duran shunted wide. Almost nobody entertained the idea he would not start at all.
It is hard to imagine that happening again any time soon.
“Our main man only came on in the last 10 or 15 minutes, so it gives you food for thought,” O’Neill said after Celtic failed to kill the game off despite lifting the tempo following Baur’s second-half strike.
Duran’s impact since joining has been obvious. “He looked tired in the game on Saturday, but I’m not surprised for the amount of things he does for us, both with the ball, which is terrific, and also the work that he does off it,” O’Neill explained. “He’s second only to Daizen Maeda in terms of closing players down. So, I wanted to try and see if we could do without him, and the answer is probably not.”
That is both a compliment and a concern. Celtic have already lived through life tethered to Maeda’s relentless energy; O’Neill will not want this new version to lean quite so heavily on Duran’s legs and lungs. Yet nights like this make it clear how much they miss him when he is not there from the start.
Hogh’s struggle and the wide problem
If Duran is the livewire, Hogh is the penalty-box predator. A poacher. He thrives on service. On Wednesday, he barely received a scrap.
With Yang Hyun-jun absent after a sparkling start to the season, Celtic’s threat from the flanks dipped sharply. Tounekti stepped in on the wing and never really stepped up. The contrast in conviction and delivery was stark.
James McFadden did not sugar-coat it on Sky Sports at half-time, describing Tounekti’s display and decision-making as “safe”. “He likes to come inside, that’s pretty positive until the last part,” McFadden said. “He’s got a big problem in his starting position, where he receives the ball, he’s always in the eye-line of the defender. He’s frustrating to watch because he’s quick and sharp with good feet, but he’s desperate to come inside and never wants to take the risk of going down the outside.”
Hogh bore the brunt of that conservatism. He touched the ball only twice in the box before the interval, cutting an exasperated figure as he peeled off defenders, made the runs, and watched the ball go elsewhere. O’Neill hinted that the Dane, the club’s record signing, must also shoulder some responsibility.
“You just can’t put the ball on a plate for people,” he told Sky Sports. “They have to make room for themselves in the penalty box to try and score a goal.”
The combination of hesitant wing play and a striker waiting for perfect service left Celtic blunt for long spells. It looked exactly like what it was: a team with five changes, still trying to remember each other’s movements in real time.
New faces, old questions
St Johnstone did not simply make up the numbers. They made four changes of their own, handed a first start to Joe Cotterill – who forced Johnstone into a superb save – and a debut to on-loan Hibs midfielder Josh Campbell. For long stretches, they matched Celtic stride for stride and asked uncomfortable questions of a disjointed visiting side.
In the middle of that, Sorensen drifted. O’Neill had admitted before kick-off he “had no idea” what the midfielder could bring. Ninety minutes later, he may still be wondering. The game passed the new man by, and his withdrawal for Benjamin Nygren with more than 20 minutes remaining underlined it.
Leaving both Duran and Nygren – two of the side’s clearest goal threats – on the bench from the start was a bold call. Just about, it paid off. Celtic won. The pair banked some rest before the Rangers double-header. The league table remains pristine.
Yet O’Neill’s tone cut through any temptation to bask in that perfection.
“I know the results have been fine, really fine, but when we get players up to speed, that’ll be great,” he said. “I think that’ll take a few weeks for players. In the meantime, the most important thing is to try and keep your head above water.”
Six games in, Celtic are not just above water. They are leading the way. The question, as a gruelling week looms, is whether a side still searching for fluency can keep swimming at this pace.
