Celtic

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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The Tennent's Sixes returns for the first time in 26 years this weekend, albeit in a legends format.

The original version featured first-team players from the Scottish top flight and ran from 1984 until 1993.

The roll call of sixes medallists is impressive. Quite a few have two, including Davie Cooper for Rangers in '84 and '89, scoring in both finals. Dave McPherson with Rangers in '84 and Hearts in '91. John Robertson, Gary McKay and Henry Smith were two-time winners with Hearts.

John Collins was a winner with Hibs in 1990 and with Celtic two years later. Aberdeen won back-to-back titles in '86 and '87 with similar squads including the likes of Jim Leighton and Neil Simpson.

But only one player has three winners medals. Winger Joe Miller was a winning Don in '86 and '87 as well as a victorious Celt in '92.

His goal for Liam Brady's Celtic in the 4-2 win over St Johnstone in the final is the stuff of sixes legend.

"John Collins or Tony Cascarino tried to play a one-two," Miller tells BBC Scotland. "The St Johnstone goalkeeper came out to tackle me and I just dipped my shoulder and let the ball run through me and into the open net."

The cheeky dummy was Miller's 10th goal of the 1992 sixes. Little wonder he remembers it fondly.

"That was probably my best memory of the sixes as it was my third win," said the 58-year-old who also finished top scorer and won the player of the tournament award.

"I loved the sixes. Current first team players played in it and treated it very seriously.

"Imagine today's players being asked to play in it. They'd be on to their agents straight away."

That was the only trophy Celtic won that year and it was the first they'd lifted since the 1989 Scottish Cup in which Miller scored the only goal of the match against Rangers. They wouldn't win another trophy until 1995.

Miller who'd been a part of the double winning centenary season team in 1988 and won both domestic cup competitions with Aberdeen would taste further glory - sort of.

"I also won a couple of Masters six-a-side titles after that, but that would be milking it," he added.

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Celtic midfielder Mika Baur was hailed as an "insanely clever" player by Jurgen Klopp after becoming Germany's 1,000th men's international.

Baur made his debut as a 77th-minute substitute in Klopp's first victory as head coach, the comfortable Nations League win over Serbia.

"Baur is an amazing player. Insanely clever, with an unbelievable technical ability," said former Liverpool boss Klopp.

Germany were already two goals up when the 22-year-old, who was signed by the Parkhead club from Paderborn in the summer transfer window, entered the field following goals from Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof and Liverpool forward Florian Wirtz.

Baur helped Klopp's side see out the result, registering 18 touches during his 13-minute appearance and completing 10 of his 12 passes.

He also created one chance and made two recoveries during a lively cameo at Allianz Arena.

Speaking to German media, Baur described his debut as "surreal".

He added: "The team were incredible from the first to the last minute. It was a highlight for everyone today, not just for me with my debut.

"We put into practice the things that we discussed, like making life difficult with our gegenpressing paired with some players who like taking risks.

"I didn't even realise at first that I was going to be brought on. I was surprised, my heart was thumping, but it was business as usual when I was on the pitch."

Germany will travel to Greece for their final fixture of the current extended international period on Sunday before Baur returns to Celtic, where he has scored twice in 10 games this season.

At £132m, Rangers have overtaken Celtic by nearly £19m as having the most valuable squad in Scotland after a 4.6% increase this summer, with Heart of Midlothian third at £22m after a 15.5% increase, but St Mirren have the biggest percentage increase at 18.6%, with Hibernian the biggest drop at 10%. (Transfermarkt, external)

Former Celtic forward Robbie Keane, who was linked with the Scottish champions as manager this summer, says he has had lots of approaches since leaving Ferencvaros but it happy to wait for the right opportunity. (Daily Record, external)

Former Celtic youth winger Karamoko Dembele, the 23-year-old now with Queens Park Rangers, says a racist remark by a team-mate at a Scotland camp made it easier for him to change allegiance to England. (The Athletic, external)

Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun has been told he will only play in the Asian Games final if he can prove he is 100% fit after sitting out the semi-final win over China following a hamstring strain. (The Herald, external)

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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We asked you to rate Celtic's season and tell us what Martin O'Neill should be focusing on during the international break.

Here are some of your comments:

Kevin: Team looks short of quality in defence, central midfield, wide players and we don't know who our No.1 striker is. Yes, we are top of the table, but we struggle against anyone with an organised defence and one or two quick players up top. So much works needs to be done, but is the manager and coaching staff up to the task?

Jamie: We have flattered to deceive in early matches with individuals getting us results. We need to nail down our best 11, especially in the wide areas, then get some rhythm and consistency of performance. Worrying signs in recent weeks but not a crisis yet.

Paul: League form is not representative of actual form - the Champions League exit is still having an impact. My gut feeling isn't that we'll turn this around easily - I had more confidence during the run-in last year. Big signings need to start tuning in - Jota's comeback can't happen quickly enough. I hope they have made good use of the international break.

Andy: What is all the panic about? We are top of the league. Yes, European results have been bad but that is no surprise and nothing new. So we lost to Rangers, I'll take losing to them four times as long as the league is won. Calm down everyone and get behind your team.

Ben: If we're realistic, not a single one of our players gets into the Rangers team. That speaks volumes.

Patrick: Out of the Champions League and out of the League Cup, lost twice to Rangers in a week and seemingly have no consistent starting line-up. It hasn't been fantastic. We need a good run in the Europa League to save the season because it's not looking good so far.

Eamon: Failure to qualify for the Champions League was a disappointment financially but not a disaster because the squad aren't good enough to play at that level. The two defeats to Rangers were harder to take because of the lack of fight or guile to even get into those games. The tactics for both games need to be questioned. My main concern is the players look unfit and poorly coached. With respect to Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham I just don't think they have the quality or experience to turn things around, their track record prior to Celtic isn't great. A shake-up in the coaching staff is a necessity.

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Will Martin O'Neill still be in charge when Celtic resume Premiership action away to Motherwell on 11 October?

With O'Neill having said he would consider his future when Celtic headed into the international break on the back of three successive defeats - two of them to Rangers - there has been precious little from the club since.

Chief executive Michael Nicholson's message of support nine days ago, which was tucked away in the club's annual accounts statement, hinted at O'Neill staying put.

Former Premiership goalkeeper Cammy Bell expects O'Neill to remain as manager - but says an instant upturn in results is a must.

"I'm a little bit surprised there's not been much coming out of Celtic because when you listen to Martin O'Neill's comments after that defeat at Celtic Park against Rangers, you almost assumed that within a couple of days he was probably going to move on," Bell told the BBC's Scottish football podcast.

"It was such a a damaging week for him, he had felt the the pressure and might have felt he had taken Celtic as far as he could, but nothing's happened.

"So you fully expect O'Neill to now be in the dugout. He has maybe gone away, had a think about it, reset himself and still firmly believes he can take Celtic on to go and win trophies this season.

"They've got a tough, tough schedule ahead, they're playing Motherwell at home a week on Sunday, then they've got Benfica away and then Hearts, so it's a huge run for Celtic when they come back to domestic football."

Mark Atkinson, sports editor of The Scotsman, echoed Bell's sentiments.

"Time is a healer," he said. "I certainly think that if he does come back - and that's looking likely at the moment - there's not a lot of wriggle room left for O'Neill and Celtic, they really do have to start picking up some results.

"And if Celtic do get some momentum again, O'Neill will probably feel better about himself. We expect him to come back, but Celtic have over the past year have thrown us some real curveballs, so you never know what's coming in the next nine days or so."

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Celtic midfielder Benjamin Nygren is one of three Sweden players told to isolate because of sickness as they prepare for Friday's meeting with Bosnia-Herzegovina. (Herald - subscription required, external)

Former Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel says he has become effectively a taxi driver for his children after retiring from football but has aspirations to manage in the future. (Sun, external)

Marcelo Saracchi, the left-back now with Houston Dynamo, admits he wanted a return to Celtic from Boca Juniors this summer but, while manager Martin O'Neill wanted him, it did not feel like the club as a whole did. (Record - subscription required, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Celtic midfielder Mika Baur admits he could never have imagined that his first Germany call-up would come so soon after his move to Glasgow.

The 22-year-old could make his international debut in Thursday's Nations League encounter with Serbia in Munich after being included in Jurgen Klopp's squad.

Baur moved from Paderborn in August after helping his club win promotion to the Bundesliga and still cannot believe how quickly international recognition followed.

"It still doesn't feel real," he said. "Until I got the call, it seemed very far away to me. I knew that moving to Glasgow was the next step in my development, but I never expected it to lead to something like this as well.

"I'm trying to soak it all up here. I want to make my mark, take everything in and make the most of the experience. I want to enjoy myself as well, but obviously we all want to play and get some minutes."

Baur believes his progress has been partly due to developing a different aspect of his game.

"My strengths are definitely on the ball, but over the last year-and-a-half I've also learned to enjoy doing the dirty work, fighting and leaving my heart on the pitch. Sprinting up and down, getting stuck into challenges," he added.

"I'm now at a very high level in that regard, meaning I can have an impact both with and without the ball."

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Just when I thought not much else could surprise me in Scottish football, Martin O'Neill casually threw in his post-match press conference quip about whether it's time for him to "wrap things up" at Celtic.

It's as yet unclear how serious the comments were. Was he really considering his future? Were they just the musings of a wily operator who knew how to take the focus away from his players?

Was it just a knee-jerk reaction to a third bad result, and performance, on the bounce?

It's quite possibly all of the above. What's clear, however, is he has made a rod for his own back unless he returns to winning ways immediately.

If there was a feeding frenzy on his utterances after the 1-0 home derby defeat, just wait until his next loss. If it comes at Fir Park a week on Sunday, Celtic will have lost four in a row and may well cede Premiership top spot.

That number of consecutive defeats was as bad as it was allowed to get for Wilfried Nancy last season.

O'Neill has a lot more credit in the bank, of course. Except he's spent some of that money by questioning whether he's still the right captain for the good ship Celtic.

It appears there is an element of the support that thinks he is not. Who didn't want him to take the job beyond May.

His reputation reached messianic levels among the Parkhead faithful with the miracles he worked to turn a disaster into a double last term.

I wrote at the time the allure of staying on would be one last crack at the Champions League. Look how that ended.

It's quite remarkable how flat things have fallen since that calamitous second half in Linz which has taken a wrecking ball to the first part of Celtic's season.

If O'Neill does return for duty after this international break - and we have to assume he will as there has been no indication to the contrary - he'll run headfirst into two very difficult fixtures. Motherwell away followed by Benfica away.

While few in the Celtic support would hold out much hope of avoiding defeat in the Estadio da Luz, what if that followed a failure to pick anything up at Fir Park?

If the manager was openly, if perhaps tongue in cheek, speculating about his own future after three straight defeats, what if that turns into five? Hearts come to Celtic Park after the trip to Portugal. Would no wins in six be survivable?

Until now, O'Neill has been the answer to Celtic's problems. His words in the wake of those losses to Rangers may just have created some new ones.

As the extended international break continues, we want to hear your thoughts on Celtic's opening seven games in the Scottish Premiership.

Martin O'Neill's side began with six straight league wins before the damaging derby loss to Rangers - their third successive defeat in an all competitions.

And while the Parkhead club remain top of the table, they suffered a Champions League play-off collapse against LASK and there is uncertainty over manager O'Neill's future.

How do you rate Celtic's start to the season and why? And what should O'Neill be focusing on during the extended break?

Share your views here.

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Kasper Hogh, 25, has no regrets about joining Celtic after scoring in just one of his opening nine appearances, a hat-trick at Kilmarnock. (Sun, external)

Denmark international Hogh takes comfort in his faith, partner and family amid the pressure to perform at Celtic. (Euroman via Scotsman - subscription required, external)

Celtic midfielder Mika Baur, 22, did not expect that joining the Scottish champions from Paderborn would be such a big step. (Record - subscription required, external)

Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Tino
Fan writer

It's been more than a week since Celtic were last in action - and there's still another 12 days to go before we see them again.

Motherwell away on Sunday 11 October feels a long way away.

Normally a gap like that would feel pretty unbearable. We'd be counting the days, scanning for a snippet of Celtic news and wishing the international break away.

But this time? I'm not sure many Celtic fans were particularly disappointed to see the break arrive. And that probably tells you a lot about where we are right now.

There's a strange sense of apathy surrounding Celtic. Maybe apathy is too strong a word, but there's definitely a flatness that hasn't been there for a while. Or at least not since the last time…

The early-season excitement has gone. The anticipation of new arrivals and what they may bring has faded too.

And after the past few weeks it almost feels like everyone needed a break from Celtic as much as Celtic needed a break from themselves.

There are plenty of reasons for that. Three defeats in a row certainly haven't helped. Neither has another Champions League campaign ending in the qualifiers.

And then there's the summer transfer window which, despite plenty of activity, has again left us with more questions than answers.

Add in the constant chopping and changing, poor performances and the uncertainty around Martin O'Neill, and maybe it shouldn't come as a surprise supporters are feeling drained by it all.

Football's supposed to be the thing you look forward to, but for a few weeks now, watching Celtic has started to feel more like something to endure. And that's a worry.

Defeats happen. Poor runs happen. But indifference is different. When supporters stop feeling angry and start feeling detached, that should concern the people running the club far more than any angry protests or booing at Celtic Park.

For once, this international break has offered everyone the chance to switch off. To stop asking what our best formation is. To stop wondering what Celtic team will turn up next.

I've not overly missed it. Of course, that feeling probably won't last. As Motherwell gets closer, the anticipation will return. We'll probably convince ourselves it's all going to be okay and by the Sunday morning we'll be desperate for kick-off.

That's what Celtic does to you. Or at least it should.

But Celtic and O'Neill now have 12 days left to ensure supporters do come back refreshed rather than resigned.

Because right now, for the first time in a long time, the break hasn't felt like just an inconvenience. It has felt necessary.

And that's not a good place for any of us to be.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external

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Celtic's Benjamin Nygren sent Sweden on their way to a 3-1 victory over Poland as Graham Potter's side made it two wins from two in Nations League Group B4.

Nygren netted a close-range header in Stockholm for his fourth international goal on his 17th cap.

Sebastian Szymanski levelled just before half-time, but second-half goals from Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari and Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres sealed the win.

Nygren had admitted before the game he was striving to recover from Celtic's early-season turbulence after Martin O'Neill's men missed out on the Champions League following a calamitous play-off collapse to LASK, then lost three successive games heading into the international break.

"It's tough of course," he told local media. "As a player you always want to play in the biggest tournaments and I was looking forward to going to the Champions League so much.

"It's extra tough, especially after we also missed out on penalties last year. You have to try to move on as quickly as possible.

"The last week has also been tough with three straight losses, two of which were against Rangers, which was extra tough.

"It's been a bit up and down but personally I've done very well in many games. I've scored a few goals and assisted.

"Every match means a lot and you are expected to win. If you don't do it, then it's not good enough.

"That's how it is and that's why I also want to play in a big club."

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie believes the club has not taken into consideration the feelings of the supporters after an Oasis gig was confirmed for the night of the 60th anniversary of the club's famous 1967 European Cup win. (Football Transfers, external)

Former Celtic winger Aiden McGeady has revealed he has heard whispers that former Ipswich Town manaager Kieran McKenna could be being lined up to become Celtic's next team boss as Martin O'Neill reflects on his own future. (Open Goal podcast, external)

Former Celtic winger Aiden McGeady has explained how Dundee technical director Gordon Strachan opened the door for him to help head coach Steven Pressley coach the club's wingers and forwards on an ad-hoc basis. (The Courier, external)

At 15 while with Celtic, full-back Daniel Church was being monitored by Manchester United but was forced to retire at 25 and is now working as a barber having been told he would need risky spinal surgery that might only extend his career, which had taken him to East Fife, Dumbarton, Alloa Athletic and Queen of the South, by a couple more years. (The Courier, external)

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

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Nine games, three goals - and all three of those strikes coming in the one match.

It is fair to say Kasper Hogh has not had the start he or Celtic would have wanted after the club spent a club-record fee to sign the Denmark striker from Bodo/Glimt.

Having bagged 53 goals in 102 appearances for his previous team, a handful of which came in the Champions League against top-level opposition, the 25-year-old arrived to fanfare following the signing of fellow big-money capture Camilo Duran.

However, it is Duran who has hit the ground running while Hogh is yet to settle in the green and white after a challenging start to his Celtic career.

Anyone who wears the number nine shirt for the Parkhead club will always attract attention, and that is before you factor in a reported £11m transfer fee.

Now, with Martin O'Neill's men on a three-game losing run, serious questions are starting to be asked after Hogh's underwhelming introduction.

That said, three goals in seven starts is not an awful return, but all those goals came in the one outing against Kilmarnock in early August.

Hogh's hat-trick display that day sent an ominous warning to Celtic's domestic rivals, though he has not netted in seven fixtures since.

But what do the underlying numbers tell us? Do they paint a promising or more alarming picture?

A brief period out injured meant Hogh missed three league games for Celtic between the end of August and early September, but on a goals-per-90 basis the striker is second from top among all Scottish Premiership players with an average of 0.89.

Again, it should be noted that each of his three goals came in the 5-1 victory over Kilmarnock, but his expected goals per 90 (also 0.89) is the highest in the division.

A decent chunk of his total xG rating (2.99) also came in that rout at Rugby Park, but it has been performances elsewhere that have prompted concern, particularly in big games.

Hogh, along with Duran, was brought to Celtic with Champions League pedigree and with the hope of taking them to the next level in Europe, but he failed to score across both play-off legs with LASK and the Europa League opener with Ferencvaros.

In 109 minutes against Rangers this term, there has also been little involvement and no goal, although it would be unfair to pin that solely on the Danish forward.

Clear-cut chances have been few and far between in recent defeats for Celtic, with only two shots on target mustered in the Old Firm losses.

With the season threatening to unravel even at this early stage, O'Neill is yet to work out the formula to get the best out of Hogh, with Duran favoured through the middle from the start in the league defeat to Rangers last time out.

How the 74-year-old and his backroom team fit both into the attack could shape how their campaign unfolds, with a trip to Motherwell on the horizon.

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Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun has declared himself fit for the Asian Games semi-final against China as he tries to help South Korea win the gold medal, having missed the previous game against Vietnam with a slight hamstring strain. (Scottish Sun, external)

Celtic are not fully over their Champions League play-off defeat by LASK, says midfielder Benjamin Nygren. (Scottish Sun, external)

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill resigned from two tax schemes designed to save members money by investing in films weeks before leading his club to a domestic double last season. (Scottish Sun, external)

Lithuania midfielder Gvidas Gineitis, the 22-year-old who Celtic pursued this summer, says joining the Scottish champions from Torino "would be an interesting and rewarding experience". (15min.It, external)

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip in full.

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Jota could return to Celtic action earlier than expected, with a behind-closed-doors game being planned during the international break. (Scottish Sun, external)

The door has not closed on former Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe taking charge of Celtic, according to Stenhousemuir boss Marvin Bartley, who played under him with Bournemouth. (Glasgow Times, external)

Celtic forward Camilo Duran's international debut for Colombia hangs in the balance with paperwork delaying his entry to the United States. (The National, external)

Fares Ghedjemis, the 24-year-old winger targeted by Celtic and Rangers this summer, could sign a new contract with Frosinone. (Gazzetta dello Sport via Glasgow Times, external)

Former Scotland midfielder Michael Stewart has revealed he had the chance of a move to Celtic before returning to Heart of Midlothian for a second spell during his playing days. (The Herald, external)

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Andy Robertson's dreams of playing for boyhood club Celtic were shattered when he was released at age 15 - but the Scotland captain now regards it as "the best thing that happened to me".

After being let go for being too small, Robertson was plucked from the scrapheap by fourth-tier Queen's Park, beginning a rise that took him to Scotland stardom and Premier League and Champions League glory with Liverpool.

Speaking on The Overlap Podcast, external, 32-year-old left-back Robertson, who is now with Tottenham, said: "I'm a big Celtic fan, had a season ticket, was ball boy for a couple of games. So Celtic was everything.

"So when you get released at that age it's not the nicest. I turned 15 in the March and then in the summer I got let go. I'd been there since I was seven.

"In fairness I was pretty small and slim. There was a big change at Celtic at that point, Tommy Burns had just passed away, new people had come in and wanted to take it in a different direction.

"But it's the best thing that happened to me really, looking back.

"I look at players who had stayed at Celtic and were maybe still there in their twenties but did they make any first-team appearances? And then at 20 they're trying to get their career back on track by going to lesser teams in Scotland.

"So I was quite happy that my journey had started earlier than them."

Robertson's self-belief understandably suffered. And it was his auntie's unwavering confidence that helped convince him he was far from finished.

"At that point I wasn't thinking I'm going to be a footballer. I just wanted to play for Celtic - that was my dream," he added.

"Fifteen is a difficult age as it as, but I had people around me that did believe. My auntie was one of the big people.

"I remember when I came back from Celtic Park after being let go, my auntie was standing at the top of the steps with a takeaway for me - my favourite curry - and she was convincing my mum and dad, saying 'No, he'll make it'. I don't know why she had so much confidence in me, but fair enough."

With Martin O'Neill taking stock of his future following three defeats in a row, you asked you whether the Celtic manager should stay or go.

Here are some of your comments:

Brian: Martin did what was needed last season and should have left on a high. He doesn't need the pressure, senior management have taken him for granted to save them money, let Martin enjoy his retirement.

Christine: If O'Neill wants to retain his legacy then he must leave. This path affords him some dignity, slowly draining with every loss. It's not even just the losing, hurtful as that is, but the manner in which we have been playing. Any manager has to take some responsibility for these shabby displays.

John: The time for a new boss is the end of the season, at which time bring Ange Postecoglou back. For now O'Neill is a proven winner. With Jota, Alistair Johnson and Yang back plus the next transfer window for the suits to back him, O'Neill will be a bigger legend than he already is. No panic. Nothing won yet.

Mark: O'Neill is a Celtic legend and the latest manager to be sold a pup by the board. Everyone and his dog knew exactly which positions needed to be filled but the board blocked the signings. They are the problem, not the manager.

Edward: If O'Neill thinks he can still get this team up to a competitive position in the league until we can properly bolster the midfield in the January transfer window then I think we should all get behind him. He knows what he is doing, he just needs our 100% support, he will come good.

Andrew: O'Neill is a Celtic legend, he's put his heart and soul into our club and we will be eternally grateful and will always remember his name, but this is painful now. The man is 74 and doesn't need (or deserve) this hassle. He's defending a board that is indefensible as well as trying to make a team gel. It's time for a younger manager now, Kieran McKenna or Robbie Keane would be high on my wishlist.

Liam: O'Neill should be allowed to decide what he feels is right for him. He has nothing to prove as a manager, he's still and will always be a club legend. His health must come first.

Margot: Please stay. We need you.

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A prominent Celtic supporters group has expressed anger at the club's "alarming" decline and "continued mismanagement".

The rancour of last season has returned over the past month after a Champions League play-off collapse against LASK and three defeats in eight days - including two derby losses to Rangers - leading into the current international break.

On Tuesday the club announced a loss after tax of £4.8m for the year ending June 30, 12 months on from making a profit of £33.9m, and a 22.7% revenue drop £111m.

"Anger at recent shambolic results on the park in big games was compounded yesterday by Celtic plc latest financial results," read a statement from Celtic Fans Collective, a coalition of supporter groups formed a year ago.

"The statements from the 'interim' chairman (Brian Wilson) and CEO (Michael Nicholson) typically lacked humility and did little to improve the mood. Supporters are not fooled.

"The stark reality is that Celtic FC is underachieving across the club and the trajectory is alarming.

"We have highlighted the signs of this decline since our formation. We will continue to hold the club to account and fight for the standards that the Celtic support deserves.

"Celtic Fans Collective representatives met with Celtic FC yesterday to discuss the club's fan engagement strategy. We also the took opportunity to express the deep frustration at the continued mismanagement of the club. A full update will be shared with members shortly."

Tino
Fan writer

There's been no shortage of debate over the past few days about what's gone wrong with Celtic.

The shape. The starting XI. The confidence. The recruitment. And of course, Martin O'Neill himself.

All of those are fair talking points. But I keep coming back to one area more than any other.

The midfield. Because when Celtic have struggled this season - particularly against stronger opposition - that's often where the problems have started.

At Ibrox Rangers were more aggressive, more physical and more dominant through the middle.

Against Ferencvaros Celtic again struggled to control the game.

And on Sunday there were long spells where we simply couldn't dictate the tempo.

And as we know, there's no obvious way to fix the problem externally until January at the earliest.

Celtic do have attacking quality. Camilo Duran. Kasper Hogh. Shim Mheuka. James Forrest. Haissem Hassan. Yang Hyun-jun. Jota potentially on the way back.

But if you can't consistently get the ball into those players in good areas, all that attacking talent becomes far less effective.

O'Neill has seven senior midfield options, but no combination has yet provided everything Celtic need.

Callum McGregor still has a major role to play, but his ability to dictate games doesn't appear to be at the same level it once was.

Benji Nygren gives you goals and assists, but in the bigger games his inclusion can leave too much responsibility on those behind him.

Mika Baur is in good form and that's been reflected in his first call-up for Germany.

Luke McCowan looks short of confidence. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain somehow remains on the fringes.

Oliver Sorensen is still a mystery, while Joel van den Berg has yet to play a competitive minute and was recently seen in a protective boot.

Lots of options, but very few clear solutions.

What Celtic need from midfield is pretty apparent. More control, more physicality, and more composure. And enough creativity to feed the frontline.

But the seemingly preferred trio of McGregor, Baur and Nygren doesn't appear to be giving Celtic enough of those qualities when the level rises.

And when you lose the midfield battle, everything else becomes harder.

The defence gets exposed. The full-backs get pinned back. The forwards become isolated. You start chasing the game instead of controlling it.

So perhaps the focus during this international break has to be on finding a better solution in the middle of the park.

Who gives McGregor the right support? Does the captain himself still merit an automatic start?

Who has the composure to play through pressure? Who gives Celtic enough physical presence? And who can consistently get the ball into the final third?

Two shots on target across two games against Rangers says a lot about Celtic's current chance creation.

Until those midfield questions are answered then the same problems will keep resurfacing.

Whether it's O'Neill making those calls or someone else, Celtic need to find a solution soon.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange, external