O'Neill Responds to Criticism, Defends Celtic's Position

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has suggested that some of the club's critics are aiming to create discord within the team. This comes after comments from Celtic captain Callum McGregor, who described the team's play in a recent 2-2 draw with Dundee United as resembling a basketball team, lacking control and positional clarity.

McGregor specifically questioned the tactical setup that saw forwards Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran, and Callum Osmand effectively deployed across the frontline. He noted that players seemed to be behaving like wingers or strikers without a defined role, leading to a lack of control and a struggle to regain possession after losing it.

O'Neill acknowledged these observations, stating that he agrees with McGregor's assessment. He explained that players like Osmand and Duran are essentially center-forwards who may struggle to lead the line alone and are still adapting to playing alongside new teammates. The manager confirmed his intention to address these tactical issues.

"I've said this to you before, I totally agree that Osmand is actually really a centre-forward," O'Neill said when asked about McGregor's comments. "I've said it at the press conference, that he is essentially a centre-forward who probably would play off somebody strong alongside him. I'm not so sure that he could lead the line on his own. And that Duran is really a centre-forward. So the players are getting to know each other. It’s really as simple as that. So I’m in total agreement with Callum. We’ll sort it out."

Despite the performance critiques, O'Neill highlighted the team's current standing, leading the league by four points. He also pointed to the fact that many players, including new arrivals like Jordan Lotomba and Joel Van Den Berg, did not participate in pre-season training and joined the squad late, necessitating a period of adjustment.

O'Neill also expressed that he is often encouraged by what he sees within the club and urged against attempts to sow division. He emphasized that the team is "doing fine" domestically and is in a decent position considering the circumstances.

"A lot of lads here didn’t even do pre-season with us. A number of players came in quite late on, so it will take time for us. So we need to hang in there, and at this minute I think we’re hanging in," he stated.

Looking ahead to their next match against Falkirk, O'Neill acknowledged the challenge, noting that Falkirk has improved significantly in recent weeks. Celtic is aiming for a victory to potentially extend their lead at the top of the table.

"I think we’ve done fine, we’re leading the league with a four-point gap at this minute, which is nothing at all at this stage of the season," O'Neill added. "We fought back and retrieved those kind of leads on a couple of occasions last season. We’ll try and get a result or two in European football which would be nice, but domestically we’ve been fine."