The Sports Guru
Celtic's captain and manager now share a diagnosis of the team's problems, yet they are not describing the same fix. This article looks at what each man said, how much of the explanation rests on time, and what the league table does and does not hide.
Martin O'Neill began by saying he had "no idea" what Callum McGregor had said about Celtic's struggles, and finished by declaring himself in "full agreement". That is a tidy piece of footwork, and it leaves a more interesting question than the reversal itself: if captain and manager agree on the problem, is "give it time" a plan or only a hope?
The captain's diagnosis
McGregor was asked about the team's difficulties after Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Dundee United. He described some moments in games as "a bit basketball", with Celtic lacking their usual control. The 33-year-old also suggested that using strikers such as Callum Osmand and Camilo Duran as wingers may be contributing, at a time when Celtic have won three of their last nine games.
The hedge matters. McGregor said it may be a factor, not that it is the cause. Still, a captain naming a selection pattern, even gently, goes beyond the usual post-match shrug. By simple subtraction, the other six games in that run of nine were not wins. The source does not break those six down into draws and defeats, so the run should not be read as more specific than that.
The manager's agreement, and its limits
Asked about the comments before Sunday's game with Falkirk, O'Neill first had no idea what had been said. Once the context was put to him, he agreed with the diagnosis. "I totally agree that Callum Osmand is actually really a centre forward," he said, adding that he had made the same point at the press conference.
He went further on Osmand, saying the player "probably would play off somebody strong alongside him" and that he was "not so sure" Osmand could lead the line on his own. He also called Duran a centre forward. Those are carefully weighted statements, and none of them is a promise to change anything.
This is the analytical crux. Agreeing that two forwards are better suited to central roles is not the same as saying they will be moved there. O'Neill's stated answer is simpler: "the players are getting to know each other". The explanation is about familiarity, not shape.
Time as the explanation
O'Neill's case rests on the squad's make-up. "A lot of lads here didn't even do pre-season with us," he said, adding that a number of players arrived quite late. He expects the group to improve as more players get up to speed over the winter, and he insisted Celtic will "sort it out".
It is a coherent argument, and it is also a convenient one, because it can only be tested slowly. Some of the evidence for it is in the league. Celtic, the defending champions, have lost only once in the Scottish Premiership, at home to Rangers, and still hold a four-point lead at the top. A win over Falkirk would stretch that to seven, with Rangers in League Cup action. The gap would then be three points wider than it is now, a plain calculation from the two figures.
O'Neill's own summary was modest: "we need to hang in there, and at this minute I think we're hanging in." That is a manager describing survival, not superiority.
Where the patience argument gets thinner
Two things sit awkwardly beside a league lead. Celtic have lost all three of their Europa League games, and there is fan discontent, including a boycott of some games by the Green Brigade fans group. Neither can be put down to the league table, and neither is explained by a late-arriving squad alone, although the source does not link them directly.
McGregor is also not the only senior voice. Defender Cameron Carter-Vickers said after the derby defeat that the team were "too random" in their play. Randomness and a lack of control are close cousins, so two senior players have now described the same weakness in different words. My reading is that a manager can wave away one captain's remark more easily than a pattern repeated by two players. O'Neill has not tried to. He has accepted the description and moved the argument onto the calendar.
What to watch
The test is not the Falkirk result alone. It is whether the wide forward roles O'Neill and McGregor both queried look different in the coming weeks, and whether Celtic's control improves as the newer arrivals settle. If the league lead holds while the performances remain loose, the winter argument will have bought time without answering the question. O'Neill has said he is not worried. A diagnosis shared by captain and manager makes that harder to sustain if nothing visibly changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
After the 2-2 draw with Dundee United, he described some moments in games as "a bit basketball", with Celtic lacking their usual control. He also suggested that playing strikers such as Callum Osmand and Camilo Duran as wingers may be contributing.
He first said he had no idea what McGregor had said. Once the context was explained, he said he was in total agreement and that both Osmand and Duran are really centre forwards.
He says many players missed pre-season and others joined late, so the group needs time to get to know each other. He expects improvement over the winter.
They lead by four points and have lost once in the league, at home to Rangers. A win over Falkirk on Sunday would extend the lead to seven points while Rangers play in the League Cup.
Research: This article uses the archived evidence supplied for this story. Story inspiration: BBC Sport's original report.
