Celtic Selections Called A Lottery: Should O’Neill Change His Approach?

Celtic Selections Called A Lottery: Should O’Neill Change His Approach? Celtic remain top of the Scottish Premiership, but their position offers little comfort after another damaging afternoon. Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Falkirk marked their sixth loss in 10 matches across all competitions, leaving Martin O’Neill with mounting questions about his team’s direction. The champions have collected 28 points from 12 league games, four ahead of Rangers, who still hold a match in hand. Their defensive record explains much of the concern, with Celtic keeping just one clean sheet across their last 10 outings while struggling to turn possession into convincing results. Falkirk exposed those weaknesses again. Ethan Ross punished Cameron Carter-Vickers’ defensive mistake inside three minutes, before Scott Tanser doubled the hosts’ advantage before half-time. Celtic produced 24 shots and dominated possession, yet Scott Bain denied them throughout the afternoon. The defeat offered another example of a side controlling spells without protecting itself at the other end. Chris Sutton offered little sympathy on Sky Sports. The former Celtic striker described O’Neill’s team selections as a “lottery”, questioning whether the manager knows his strongest starting eleven. His criticism extended beyond midfield, with Sam Johnstone’s goalkeeping performances failing to inspire confidence and Liam Scales drawing particular ridicule for attempting ambitious dribbles from defence like Franco Baresi. “They’ve got massive problems in midfield, but it’s not just there,” he said on Sky Sports (relayed via BBC ). “The goalkeeping situation seems to be a real mess. Sam Johnstone doesn’t really excite or inspire me. Liam Scales is dribbling out from the back thinking he’s Baresi. He’s not. “We know how lightweight they are and what they lack in midfield, both athletically and physically. And then the two strikers [Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh] have been signed, but Martin can’t play them together. “Why can’t he play them together? Because he can’t play 4-4-2 because the midfielders aren’t athletic enough to do that. “Martin needs to be forthright about the way forward and how he’s going to play, and stick to one thing.” Should Celtic blame O’Neill or summer recruitment for their tactical problems? GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – OCTOBER 22: Martin O’Neill, Manager of Celtic, looks on before the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD3 match between Celtic FC and Real Club Celta at Celtic Park on October 22, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) Sutton’s strongest argument concerns Celtic’s lack of athleticism in midfield. The current options lack the physical presence and defensive coverage required to protect the back four consistently, leaving O’Neill struggling to establish a dependable structure. That imbalance also restricts his attacking choices, preventing him from comfortably pairing Camilo Duran with Kasper Høgh in a traditional 4-4-2. However, blaming O’Neill alone ignores the recruitment decisions that created this squad. Celtic invested around £9 million in Haissem Hassan, yet the midfield still lacks the physical profile required to support two forwards. The signing added attacking quality without addressing the need for a dependable ball-winner, leaving Callum McGregor carrying too much defensive responsibility. Sutton is right to demand clarity, but consistency requires suitable personnel. Celtic must recruit a stronger defensive midfielder and improve their centre-back protection before expecting O’Neill to settle on one blueprint. Until then, the manager must stop treating selection as experimentation and give his players a clearly defined structure.