22nd March 2026; Tannadice Park, Dundee, Scotland; Scottish Premiership Football, Dundee United versus Celtic; Celtic interim manager Martin ONeill with Celtic PR Iain Jamieson
The most predictable issue in Celtic matches is that their opponents will have 15-20 shots at goal in almost every match.
Last night, according to UEFA, Celta Vigo had 22 attempts on goal. True only four were on target but a 50% success rate is very decent.
In match after match Celtic are giving their opponents a ridiculous amount of chances.
They know the template. Attack down the flanks, cut the ball back to the D area outside of the penalty box and take a pot at goal.
Over two matches LASK Linz set out the ground rules. It never worked for them in Glasgow, it paid dividends in the return leg as Celtic crashed 5-4 out of the Champions League.
Even Derek McInnes picked up on that weakness. It turned Dan Neill into a month long legend. A no mark at Sunderland projected into a star by the glaring weakness in how Celtic play.
You don’t need advanced analytics or a deep dive into stats to highlight the way to score against Celtic.
@BelfColm74 Add the Dundee United stats when the hit the woodwork about 5 times and it shows how long we’ve had an issue. Cal Mac playing every game is a man down. He drops deep all the time and continually passes it backwards to the closest player, putting the defence under more pressure.
— P O Donnell (@paulODo18748979) October 23, 2026
The League Cup win at Tannadice was the first warning sign.
At the time it seemed quite freaky that they hit the woodwork five times, four of them from outside of the penalty box.
Against Dundee United Mika Baur made his Celtic debut.
The young German has been a great success. The German national side isn’t what it once was but two full caps under Jurgen Klopp is recognition of talent.
Individually Baur, Callum McGregor and Ben Nygren are all very talented. Unfortunately a midfield has to function as a unit or it is almost pointless.
CELTIC UNDER SIEGE
Nygren’s scoring is incredible. The reality is that the Swede is effectively a shadow striker, his midfield contribution is almost negligible.
Which leaves an incredible burden on Baur and McGregor. One of whom missed out on pre-season training with the other a 33-year-old that is being given an increasing workload despite his advancing years.
Last night O’Neill sent on Oliver Sorenson for Baur in the 79th minute, it didn’t make any difference.
The on loan Dane is in the wrong movie, parachuted into a team that has no shape, direction or purpose.
Sorenson was selected ahead of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain which raises another question.
What was the point in signing the former England internationalist on a hefty wage when he isn’t trusted to improve a midfield that doesn’t function.
Soon Celtic will send their messengers news of plans for the January transfer window. Only the gullible will buy into it.
It took Celtic 18 months to replace Kyogo Furuhashi, only a year to sign a right winger to replace Nicolas Kuhn.
Anyone expecting Arne Engels II in January is in for another disappointment.
Besiktas know exactly what to do when they visit Celtic on November 5.
@BelfColm74 Need a ball winner and some legs in MF. Baur is amazing but for me it’s him or Nygren in big games
— Soupercelt (@soupercelt1967)
And yet the coaching tactics does nothing to mitigate them. Even something simple as instructing Calmac and Baur where to be out of possession including to narrow up in the area between cds and the midfield which invariably means at least one of them hanging on the area of the D. It’s basic as fk. ????
— michael meechan45% (@mm1967may25)
@BelfColm74 aye most worrying all those games most shots are outside box central surely someone watching has gone we keep letting teams take long shots lets stop that or is that just too obvious
— Clive Law (@CliveLaw372900)
@BelfColm74 @Celtic_365 Same pattern and no changes in sight, Saint Martin and the coaches living on reputation anyone else would be getting slaughtered
— Thomas Murphy (@TDogMurphy)
