- Published
Football in Glasgow's goldfish bowl has a habit of being unnecessarily dramatised, yet there is a case for saying a week in mid-September could have a defining impact on Celtic's season.
uncertain
week → have → season
After spectacularly failing the first of three tests during this mini crucial spell, alarm bells are ringing among sections of an unconvinced support.
asserted
bells → fail → support
Martin O'Neill's side have the chance to right the wrongs of their sobering 3-0 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final defeat by Rangers at Ibrox when they host their city rivals in a rematch in the league on Sunday, but a Europa League opener with Ferencvaros comes first.
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opener → have → Ferencvaros
Celtic fans are tiptoeing with trepidation into their first European action since their Champions League play-off collapse in Linz, a capitulation that has the same supporters questioning this team's big-game credentials, especially after Sunday.
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supporters → tiptoe → Sunday
"It's strange you're never asked about team selection when you win games," O'Neill responded bullishly when asked about the outside noise.
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O'Neill → ask → noise
"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.
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we → do → games
"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."
Why Celtic fans still need convincing
In short: the aforementioned big-game results this season and the performance level under O'Neill since January.
The 74-year-old's remit last term was to end a chaotic, rollercoaster campaign on a high after the Wilfried Nancy debacle.
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remit → question → debacle
He absolutely did that, winning the Scottish Premiership title and Scottish Cup.
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He → do → title
Celtic fans spent the aftermath of that double triumph torn over whether they wanted to watch their legendary manager head off into the sunset with two medals round his neck or have him lead the team into a fresh season.
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him → spend → season
One thing supporters were united on, though, was wanting to see overdue progress in Europe and a better product on the pitch.
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supporters → unite → pitch
It seems they are still waiting for that.
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they → seem → that
There will be fans of rival clubs who will view those wishes as greed, given Celtic still continue to dominate domestically.
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Celtic → view → greed
However, supporters of the Parkhead side have spent the past decade being conditioned into watching their team clean up trophies while still delivering dominant, free-flowing football, hence the demand is there.
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demand → spend → football
O'Neill and his staff were largely given a pass last term during a season of intense turbulence.
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O'Neill → give → turbulence
Fury was mostly directed towards the club's hierarchy, but the manager and his backroom team are now not immune from scrutiny.
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manager → direct → scrutiny
The Celtic boss's team selection has been questioned by fans and pundits, including one of his former players, Chris Sutton, in the wake of an abject derby display.
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selection → question → display
Are Sutton's 'great concerns' justified?
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concerns → justify → ?
Below-par showings were forgiven last season as Celtic simply just had to get by to stay in touch at the top before eventually leapfrogging Heart of Midlothian on the final day with a seventh successive league victory.
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Celtic → forgive → victory
That Premiership-winning streak has been extended to 13 games following six straight victories to start the campaign, but concerns about performance level remain.
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concerns → win → level
Twelve goals over three wins at Kilmarnock, Dundee United and in the first leg of the Champions League play-off against LASK sent an ominous warning to Celtic's domestic rivals amid a period of high spending, particularly in forward areas.
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goals → send → areas
Camilo Duran has been the standout summer recruit so far with six goals and three assists in 10 appearances, while record signing Kasper Hogh and fellow big-money arrival Haissem Hassan are yet to fully settle.
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Hogh → settle → appearances
Sutton said his old club have been "flat-track bullies" by "beating the teams you expect them to beat", but the collapse in Austria, plus Sunday's bruising loss, has highlighted glaring deficiencies.
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collapse → say → deficiencies
Even captain Callum McGregor lamented Celtic's "team of individuals" after the weekend defeat at Ibrox.
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McGregor → lament → Ibrox
, former striker Sutton also expressed his "great concerns" for O'Neill's men and said they have "big issues" after a "lightweight" midfield was "run all over" by Rangers.
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midfield → express → Rangers
Celtic have struggled to build up play against coherent pressing teams, which results in opposition sides being offered too much encouragement when the ball turns over.
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ball → struggle → encouragement
They faced a whopping 60 shots across both legs with LASK.
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They → face → LASK
Forty of them came in a mess of a second leg.
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Forty → come → leg
In the Premiership alone this season, they have faced 64 attempts, the same number as Hearts and six more than Rangers.
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they → face → Rangers
Over just six games, that tally already makes up almost a quarter of the total they faced in the entirety of the 2024-25 league-winning campaign under Brendan Rodgers.
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they → make → Rodgers
That said, in comparison to last term, which was overseen by Rodgers, Nancy and O'Neill, Celtic's Premiership numbers show they are currently averaging a far better goal concession rate while scoring and shooting more.
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they → say → rate
With a rapid rematch against Rangers offering the chance to move eight points clear of their city rivals after a test against European-level opposition, the next four days will at least be mood-shifting.
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days → offer → opposition
Whether that is to O'Neill's benefit remains unclear.
uncertain
is → remain → benefit
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