Celtic captain Callum McGregor has voiced strong criticism of the team's playing style, labelling it 'chaos ball' and a risky long-term approach. His comments follow Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Dundee United, a result that saw the league leaders drop points at home. The team's recent form of two wins, one draw, and two losses from their last five matches shows the inconsistency McGregor highlighted.
McGregor stated the team's play lacked control and highlighted the danger of deploying players out of position. He said steps had to be taken to address these problems. The captain's remarks have put the spotlight on the team's direction as they prepare for an away match against Falkirk on Sunday 1 November.
Manager defends and contextualizes
Manager Martin O'Neill acknowledged McGregor's points while seeking to clarify the situation. O'Neill said the quotes were taken out of context, though he did not deny the context of the criticism. He confirmed that Callum Osmand, one of three strikers started against Dundee United, is actually a centre-forward by trade.
O'Neill made tactical changes at half-time in that match, taking Kasper Hogh off and introducing wingers Jota and Haissem Hassan. The manager said he will address McGregor's concerns directly when he faces the media ahead of the Falkirk game. O'Neill added that, the team is doing fine, pointing to their league standing of first in the Premiership with 28 points from 11 games, which includes nine wins, one draw, and one loss.
Squad adjustments and injury update
The draw with Dundee United saw Celtic fight back from a goal down, with Liam Scales scoring a 65th-minute equaliser assisted by Jota. Camilo Duran, the team's top scorer this season with seven goals in 11 appearances, had opened the scoring in the 18th minute. The result leaves Celtic first in the Premiership with 28 points from 11 games, maintaining a four-point lead at the top of the standings and claiming a goal difference of plus 19, having scored 27 and conceded eight.
Defender Cameron Carter-Vickers remains sidelined due to injury, a situation unrelated to the recent comments. O'Neill confirmed that young defender Joel Van Den Berg trained today, while Jordan Lotomba is yet to feature. The manager said a number of players arrived late in the window and the squad needs time to gel.
Celtic's recent form shows two wins, one draw, and two losses from their last five matches, a sequence that includes a 2-1 victory over Hibernian on Sunday 25 October. They travel to face sixth-placed Falkirk on Sunday, having beaten them 2-1 in the last meeting on Saturday 29 August. The fixture is the next test for a team seeking consistency at the top of the table.
Read the full report at Daily Record Football
