Celtic face four crucial days after 3-0 Ibrox defeat with Europa League and league rematch on the schedule
Celtic lost 3-0 to Rangers in a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox on Sunday, a defeat that has intensified scrutiny ahead of a Europa League opener with Ferencvaros on Thursday and a league rematch with Rangers on Sunday. After failing the first of three tests during a week in mid-September, alarm is being voiced by sections of an unconvinced support.
Manager Martin O'Neill defended his selections and record when asked about the criticism, saying: "It's strange you're never asked about team selection when you win games." He added: "We've been doing a fair amount of winning domestically now for quite some considerable time and we've won our league games so far. "It's another big test for us on Sunday, obviously, but it's amazing the number of times you're not questioned when you've won." The 74-year-old had been charged last season with steadying a turbulent campaign after the Wilfried Nancy debacle and finished by winning the Scottish Premiership title and the Scottish Cup.
Supporters remain split over O'Neill's future given that double triumph, with many united in wanting more progress in European competition and a better style of play on the pitch despite continued domestic success. The article notes there will be rival fans who view those demands as excessive, but it says Celtic fans have been conditioned over the past decade to expect both trophy wins and dominant, free-flowing football.
Scrutiny that was mainly aimed at the club hierarchy last season has broadened to include O'Neill and his backroom staff, with some critics questioning team selection after the derby display. Former striker Chris Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club that he has "great concerns" and believes Celtic have "big issues," describing them as "flat-track bullies" and saying a "lightweight" midfield was "run all over" by Rangers. Captain Callum McGregor described the side as a "team of individuals" following the weekend defeat.
On the field, Celtic extended a Premiership-winning streak to 13 games following six straight victories to start the campaign, four of which were by a one-goal margin. Camilo Duran has registered six goals and three assists in 10 appearances, while record signing Kasper Hogh and fellow arrival Haissem Hassan are reported as yet to fully settle. The side also scored 12 goals across wins at Kilmarnock, Dundee United and in the first leg of the Champions League play-off against LASK.
European struggles have amplified concerns: Celtic suffered a collapse in Linz in the Champions League play-off and faced 60 shots across both legs with LASK, 40 of them in the second leg. In the Premiership this season they have faced 64 attempts — the same number as Hearts and six more than Rangers — a total which the article says is almost a quarter of the shots they faced in the entirety of the 2024-25 league-winning campaign under Brendan Rodgers.
The immediate schedule gives Celtic a chance to respond quickly, with the Europa League tie against Ferencvaros listed for Thursday, 16 September (20:00 BST) and a rapid league rematch with Rangers on Sunday that could offer the chance to move eight points clear of their city rivals. Whether results over those next four days will quiet the critics or deepen concerns about the squad's big-game credentials remains unclear.