Celtic

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Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton is concerned for Martin O'Neill and believes Cameron Carter-Vickers' "disgraceful" comments highlight a disconnect between the squad and manager.

Under-pressure O'Neill is weighing up whether to continue in the job after defeats to Rangers either side of a Europa League home loss to Ferencvaros.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Sutton said: "I'm just concerned about him.

"He had an operation not so long back. He hasn't looked particularly well.

"The stress he has been under - you think about what he did last season, going back once, then going back again, getting Celtic over the line, all that drama.

"Getting the job in the summer, I didn't necessarily want him to take it, because that was like a perfect finish.

"I hated seeing him doing the press conference [post-match on Sunday]. He looks tired. He offered that comment [on considering his future]. That doesn't bode well.

"A lot of the age stuff has been thrown at him, and I wonder if it's all a bit too much.

"He's clearly thinking about pulling the plug on it, which many of the players, based on Carter-Vickers' comments, may want. I thought that was disgraceful, what he said."

Following Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Rangers, defender Carter-Vickers said Celtic are lacking an identity, were "too random" in their play and called for "consistency of messaging, consistency of ideas, consistency of effort".

Sutton, who played under O'Neill during the Northern Irishman's first Celtic spell, labelled the remarks "astonishing".

He added: "That is a criticism of the manager. Why did he say that? I don't get it. It's about players taking responsibility.

"Why is it always down to the manager and coaching staff to tell players exactly? It used to happen when I played, we'd make a decision on the pitch.

"I don't know why the onus is always on the manager. These aren't 12-year-olds. There's a lot of experience in the team."

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Does Martin O'Neill still want to be the "whipping boy" of a "slightly dysfunctional football club"?

As he considers his future following three successive defeats, including back-to-back Old Firm losses, the Celtic manager has plenty to ponder.

"If you're talking about whether O'Neill will stay on or not, there's various things he has to consider," says Stephen McGowan, football writer for The Herald.

"He has to consider whether he can still get a tune out of this group of players, but also whether he wants to continue being the frontman for this slightly dysfunctional football club.

"They don't have a director of football. They've not replaced Paul Tisdale, the head of recruitment.

"I'm not absolutely certain if they've replaced Jay Lefevre, who left for Swansea and was the kind of chief scout. Not officially anyway because they don't really communicate, they don't tell you, and that's the point - O'Neil has become this lightning rod for the frustration of supporters because he is the only person putting his head above the parapet.

"The directors don't do that. Dermot Desmond doesn't do that. Michael Nicholson doesn't do it. It all falls to O'Neill to almost take that frustration on the chin.

"That is one of the concerns I think people have, whether he should continue to be the kind of whipping boy for this club which has more deep structural issues.

"The problems Celtic have go beyond the technical area. And I think that's one of the things he needs to ask himself, whether he wants to continue being that guy or whether actually he thinks, you know what, I don't really need this."

Listen to more Celtic analysis on Tuesday's episode of the BBC Scottish football podcast

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Celtic remain the team to beat despite Rangers' back-to-back derby wins, according to Ian Durrant.

Celtic have lost three straight matches in all competitions, including the two defeats by Rangers, but remain two points ahead of their rivals at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Durrant - who won 13 major honours as a player at Ibrox - is excited by Rangers' recent form, but says they still have work to do to be considered Scotland's top team.

"Rangers are very young and inexperienced but they're sticking together and they're showing signs that they could be a good team," the 59-year-old said, speaking at a press conference to promote the SPFL Tennent's Sixes at Glasgow's Braehead Arena next month.

"They've got a lot of physicality about them. But it's very early days now, nothing's given out in September.

"You've got to make sure you go on a run now and make sure you hang on to Celtic.

"There's a lot of hard work still to do. It's good just now but there's a lot of tough games coming up.

"Celtic are the benchmark for where Rangers are trying to get to. We're still chasing Celtic. They're the team to beat.

"Rangers have not got that experience just now. Rangers are playing well just now but Celtic have got that experience, players that have been over the course.

"They're what all teams are trying to aim for. If we can overtake Celtic then we've got a fair chance of winning the league."

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Tom Boyd believes Celtic's Champions League play-off collapse against LASK last month is the cause of their recent poor form.

Martin O'Neill's side threw away a four-goal aggregate lead in Austria as they missed out on Europe's premier club competition.

Celtic were knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup and beaten in the league by rivals Rangers, either side of losing their Europa League opener 3-1 against Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros, making it three defeats in their past three matches.

"We've had better weeks, that's safe to say," said Celtic ambassador and former player Boyd, speaking at a media conference to promote next month's SPFL Tennent's Sixes at Braehead Arena in Glasgow.

"With the performances in the last few weeks, possibly the LASK game has maybe shot some of the players' confidence, being in that position and losing that lead.

"I think the LASK game took everybody by surprise, taking a 4-0 lead [on aggregate] and losing. That's something that has probably taken longer to get out of the system than what it should have done.

"We'll get three weeks now, there's players who will hopefully get that confidence back by going away on international duty and what the manager does with the rest that stay behind is try to get that [confidence] back, and make sure that we're ready for the next run of very difficult games."

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Celtic centre-half Cameron Carter-Vickers has admitted it has been difficult to get all their summer signings "on the same script" but expressed confidence in their squad despite three damaging defeats in a row that have called into question the future of manager Martin O'Neill.

The 74-year-old veteran team boss wondered if it is time "to wrap it up" as he headed into the international break pondering his position at the Scottish Premiership leaders following Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Rangers.

But Carter-Vickers told Sky Sports: "I agree with the manager - I don't think there was much in the game. Neither team were particularly good. There's a lot we can improve on, but I'm confident in the group we have."

Asked why Celtic's season had taken a downturn with two losses to their city rivals either side of Europa League defeat by Ferencvaros, the United States international added: "Hard to put your finger on one thing.

"We played a bit too random. We need to get better at that, getting a script and sticking to it.

"The last two games we've played have been big pressure games. As players, you rely on having something to fall back on.

"We haven't had the time to get that. As players, we can do better for sure. It's something we can improve on.

"There's a lot of new players at the club. It's about getting everyone on the same script. The group are together like we've always been. We need to find consistency."

We asked for your views after Celtic lost 1-0 to Rangers, their second defeat by their rivals in the space of a week.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Arthur: Martin O'Neill is not the problem at Celtic. He won the league and cup double in a disastrous season of boardroom mismanagement. The CEO keeps getting sold pups. All the recent signings are third-rate journeymen players in European terms. Celtic deserve to win nothing this season. Dermot Desmond will have to assume his responsibilities as majority shareholder, and dismiss the CEO and board. O'Neill and other football professionals should feature on the new board.

Paul: MON is and always will be a legend. But, he should have walked into the sunset after the Scottish Cup final. I don't blame him if he leaves for the benefit of his health. Players aren't performing. If MON goes, Shaun Maloney needs to go too because his tactics are like watching paint dry.

Laurie: Celtic made a net profit of £19m in the last transfer window. The inescapable conclusion has to be therefore that better players left than the ones who came. Total lack of ambition by this board.

David: A good time for MON to retire given the shambles brought on by Celtic's board and poor summer signings.

Johnnie: Celtic's confidence is low and when they are up against it the players look nervy. The international break gives them time to work on some things. No panic yet, we are not the most successful team in Britain for nothing.

Paul: The writing was on the wall yesterday and only one team showed up again for the third time in a week. A season that started with so much promise and optimism is now bordering on hubris with Celtic on the brink of a catastrophic collapse. There must be wholesale changes at the club now with another attempt to entice Eddie Howe and his backroom staff to the club to try and galvanise and overhaul this extremely passive group of individual players, to try and ensure that stability is maintained and restored immediately.

Stephen: Really was men against boys. Celtic very poor, a shocking performance. Rangers ran the show, they should've been out of sight. Emmanuel Fernandez should have seen red in first half, but even if he did get sent off, Rangers would still have won. Celtic are a shambles on and off the pitch.

Phil: Why oh why does O'Neill have a loyalty to Callum McGregor? He is finished, devoid of any ideas or skills anymore, over the hill and washed up. Again we had the wrong formation and wrong players in the wrong positions. Hopefully we get Jota, Alistair Johnston and Callum Osmand back in three weeks' time to steady us up because we really need help now.

Despite many putting two-and-two together following Roy Keane's appearance at Sunday's defeat by Rangers, the former Celtic midfielder and friend of under pressure current boss Martin O'Neill made it abundantly clear on the most recent Stick to Football podcast he would never attend a game with the ulterior motive of replacing a manager. (Daily Record, external)

Reacting to Celtic's defeat by Rangers, Roy Keane remarked to Celtic AM that it was the "ups and downs of football". (The National, external)

Considering Roy Keane's last management job was 15 years ago, the idea he would be the next manager should be too silly for words, but it is time for Martin O'Neill to exit and you cannot rule anything out the way Celtic are run these days. (The Herald, external)

Despite defending Celtic's summer recruitment in public, Martin O'Neill was privately despairing as he later admitted the current squad is weaker compared to the end of last season. (Graham Spiers on Press Box Patreon), external

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has criticised Shaun Maloney, saying the assistant is active on the touchline when their side is winning but absent when losing. (Glasgow Times, external)

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Celtic sustained a third defeat in a row after Rangers left Glasgow's east end with a 1-0 win in Sunday's Scottish Premiership match.

For Martin O'Neill's side, it followed last Sunday's 3-0 League Cup loss away to Rangers and a midweek Europa League defeat at home to Ferencvaros.

Former Celtic captain Scott Brown was on punditry duty for BBC Scotland and shared his thoughts on the game.

"Rangers won more duels than Celtic," he said. "They just looked that little bit more reactive than what Celtic did. They've not done enough over the game to go and deserve to win that. The pressure was very, very passive.

"They went in their ones and twos, didn't go as a team. They got bullied throughout the pitch. That's two games in a row - that's not good enough.

"There's a lot of pressure on how Martin O'Neill now deals with that three weeks in that international break and how he can come out the other side. He's got to have an understanding of what his best team is, what his best shape is and go from there.

"He's been through hard times, he's been through good times but now his job is to get the best out of that Celtic squad."

Former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner was in attendance at Celtic Park.

And he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound: "Rangers should've put that game long out of sight and they thoroughly deserved their victory.

"That's not the way that the fans have been used to Celtic playing over the last maybe 10 years so something's far wrong. Is it down to the players? We don't know but it's up the management to fix it.

"They've got to fix it very, very quickly because they're in trouble at the moment."

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Rangers earned a second Old Firm derby win in a week to cut the gap to Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic to two points and deepen the gloom at their city rivals.

MATCH REPORT

HAVE YOUR SAY

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Celtic manager Martin O'Neill: "We're still two points clear. We have a break coming up and it's a time to reflect, see where we are positioned and get on from there.

"I thought there wasn't much between the teams. Rangers scored, we had a couple of chances ourselves.

"The club has suffered defeat in the past; I've had that and it's a matter of fighting back and that's what you've got to try and do. Every defeat is really painful and it hurts every bit as much now as it did before.

"I have to reflect on things myself, see what I can do better to help the team. That's something that I'll genuinely think about.

"There are always big questions when you lose matches. You have to accept responsibility, which I do. Remember, this is my team. I am responsible for that."

Celtic remain interested in signing Torino star Gvidas Gineitis ahead of the January window (Football Insider), external.

Swansea City and former Celtic defender Stephen Welsh thought his first Scotland call up was a "wind up" (Daily Record), external.

Martin O'Neill admits Celtic blundered by failing to replace Arne Engels' running power in the summer window (Scottish Sun), external.

Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers has called for unity after a difficult week for the Scottish champions (Scotsman), external.

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Midfielder Mika Baur feels Celtic won't win Sunday's derby game against Rangers with "beautiful football and nice play".

Martin O'Neill's side were knocked out of the League Cup last weekend following a 3-0 defeat to their Glasgow rivals at Ibrox.

The sides meet again this weekend, this time in the Scottish Premiership at Celtic Park.

Last week, Celtic had to handle a 50000 strong Ibrox crowd last weekend but this time round it will be a packed Parkhead with no Rangers fans.

"You could feel it's a special thing there [Old Firm game]," he said.

"It was like 50,000 people against you, you should handle that. And on Sunday it's completely different.

"We have 60,000 on our side, so we should use that. We need everyone.

"We players will give 100 per cent on the field and we need everybody else to get that energy back and win on Sunday."

"I've said a couple of times now, stick together again, get the energy level, really, really high on Sunday.

"You will not win it with beautiful football and nice play.

"Maybe you will score through it, but you will win the game on Sunday with a mentality and with energy and that's what everybody should bring into the into the match.

"Sure you want to win. That's the first thing and in in a couple of months, no one asked how you won. You want to play attractive football, if you want to do good with the ball, against the ball.

"Tactics are really important, but as we all saw last Sunday, it was not about that. It was about tackling back, to run back. It was about that and we should bring that on Sunday.

"You don't want to stop playing good with the ball.

"It's more about the energy, it's more about the mentality on Sunday, but it should be a good mix."

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returns to the Celtic squad to face Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday after the midfielder was suspended for Thursday's Europa League match against Ferencvaros.

Manager Martin O'Neill will assess those who played against the Hungarian side.

Yang Hyun-jun is still away at the Asian Games with South Korea, while Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Jota remain out.

Rangers striker Ryan Naderi and an unnamed player are doubts.

Left-back Tuur Rommens is back in training after a lengthy spell out with a groin injury, but Lawrence Shankland, Youssef Chermiti and Daisuke Yokota are still out.

Comfortable defeats by Rangers and Ferencvaros have left a growing sense of unease behind the scenes at Celtic over the future of manager Martin O'Neill. (TeamTalk, external)

Martin O'Neill is not facing the sack at Celtic, but the 74-year-old knows that he must keep them above Rangers to stay in the job for the whole season (Football Insider, external)

Martin O'Neill says "Celtic will be looking, soon enough, for someone to replace me" but insists he retains the hunger to succeed this season. (Glasgow Times, external)

Ruud Gullit says not even an approach from Celtic could persuade Frank Rijkaard to come out of managerial retirement, but the 64-year-old former Chelsea manager has opened the door to his own first coaching role since 2011. (The Herald, external)

Former United States goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who worked under Martin O'Neill with Leicester City, has revealed he almost joined the Northern Irishman at Celtic while Rangers also showed interest in him at different stages of his career. (The Scotsman, external)

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Martin O'Neill knows he is under increasing scrutiny as Celtic manager after alarming successive losses - but insists Sunday's Old Firm derby isn't a must-win fixture.

Celtic are looking to bounce back after insipid defeats to Rangers in the League Cup last eight and Ferencvaros in the Europa League opener.

O'Neill's side top the Premiership by five points from Rangers, who have won five successive games before the derby which precedes a three-week hiatus for international action.

"No, it's too early in the season to say," said O'Neill. "It would be great if we could win because we could go eight points clear. And we've won the previous six league games.

"The game is big. It's a big game whether it's played in September or March. It's a really big game. We need to be up for the game.

"Do we need to win the game? It would be nice to win, it wouldn't be great if we lost. That would be three on the trot, and of course psychologically it would be a blow."

O'Neill says questions over his tactics and team selections amid Celtic's recent downturn comes with the territory.

"That's the nature of the game," he said.

"Honestly, the minute that you lose a football match, you will be asked. And I don't see why I shouldn't be asked.

"I can get a bit tetchy now and again. Sometimes I have to apologise for that.

"But overall, what I did say was that we don't seem to be questioned when we win the football matches. But yeah, everybody has a right to ask.

"At the end of it all, I'm responsible for team selection, I'm responsible for the tactics, and of course I should be questioned."