Are We Being Too Critical of Celtic, or Has the Standard of Scottish Football Dropped?

There has been plenty of criticism of Celtic this season, particularly after our European performances. And, to be fair, a lot of it has been deserved. But looking at the points we have collected domestically compared with previous seasons, I think there is another question worth asking: are we being too critical of this Celtic side, or has the standard of Scottish football dropped?

After 10 league matches, Celtic have 27 points from a possible 30. That is an excellent start, but what makes the comparison with previous campaigns so interesting is that we have been here before.

In 2024/25, Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic had 28 points after 10 matches. Ange Postecoglou’s side collected 27 in 2022/23, while the 2023/24 team had 26. Even in 2020/21, when Celtic ultimately endured a disastrous campaign by our standards, we had 28 points at this stage.

The figures show that our current domestic form is hardly a disaster. In fact, it is comparable with several successful Celtic sides from recent years.

The biggest difference is that we are not enjoying the football in the same way.

The points tell one story, but the performances tell another

Look at the comparison in the table. The current Celtic side has already collected more points than we managed after 10 games in 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2021/22 and 2025/26.

Last season’s total of just 20 points after 10 matches was particularly poor by Celtic’s standards. We have improved considerably on that return, and it would be unfair to ignore that improvement simply because we are unhappy with what we have seen in Europe.

But there is a reason supporters are still frustrated.

We can collect 27 points while watching performances that lack fluency, creativity and control. We can win matches without looking convincing. And we can acknowledge that Martin O’Neill has kept Celtic competitive domestically while questioning whether the team is progressing in the right direction.

Those things are not mutually exclusive.

The points total proves that Celtic are doing their job in the league. It does not automatically prove that the standard of football is good enough.

Has the standard of Scottish football dropped?

This is the part of the debate I find most interesting.

If Celtic can collect 27 points from 30 while producing performances that leave supporters so concerned, does that reflect how well we are doing, or does it tell us something about the standard of opposition we face domestically?

Scottish football has always had a financial disadvantage compared with Europe’s major leagues. But Celtic’s resources still put us in a position where we should be able to dominate domestically. We have the biggest support, significant commercial revenue and the ability to attract players that most Scottish clubs cannot afford.

That makes our points total difficult to interpret on its own.

Perhaps we are doing exactly what a club with our resources should be doing against domestic opposition, even when the performances are not particularly impressive. Perhaps the gap between Celtic and the rest of the league means we can get away with mistakes that would be punished more regularly in Europe.

And perhaps the standard of the league has not necessarily collapsed, but Celtic’s domestic dominance makes it harder to judge how good this team really is.

After all, collecting three points against a Scottish Premiership side is not the same test as facing a well-organised European opponent with greater technical quality and the ability to punish our weaknesses.

That does not mean Scottish football is worthless or that every domestic opponent is poor. It means we need to be honest about what our league results actually tell us.

The European problem cannot be ignored

The argument that we are being too critical becomes much harder to sustain when we look at Europe.

Celtic have struggled badly in their opening Europa League fixtures, and our European performances have exposed weaknesses that domestic results can sometimes conceal. The difference in quality, tempo and punishment for mistakes has been obvious.

That is why the comparison with previous seasons is useful, but it is not the end of the discussion.

Ange’s side collected 27 points after 10 league matches in 2022/23, but that campaign also brought a convincing domestic style and a team that supporters could identify with. Brendan Rodgers’ 2024/25 side had 28 points at the same stage, and Celtic were capable of producing performances that looked far more assured in possession.

The current team may be keeping pace on points, but that does not mean it is matching those sides in terms of performances or potential.

We should judge Martin O’Neill on what Celtic are actually producing, not simply on whether the league table looks healthy.

So, are we being too critical?

I do think the points comparison should make us pause before declaring the domestic campaign a failure. Twenty-seven points from 30 is a strong return, and the improvement on last season’s 20 points is significant.

But I also think the numbers highlight a bigger issue.

If Celtic can produce a points return comparable with several previous campaigns without convincing supporters that the football is good enough, we have to ask whether domestic results are giving us a false sense of security.

Maybe the standard of Scottish football has dropped. Maybe Celtic’s financial advantage makes it easier to accumulate points without playing particularly well. Or maybe the current team simply has not found the consistency and identity we expect from a Celtic side.

There is probably an element of truth in all three.

What I do know is that we should not dismiss the points total, nor should we use it to silence criticism. The comparison tells us that Celtic are doing well domestically by the numbers. It does not tell us that everything is right at the club.

For me, the real concern is not that we have 27 points after 10 matches. It is that we can look at a record comparable with some of our strongest recent league campaigns and still feel so unconvinced about where this team is heading.

That should tell us something.

Celtic supporters are not asking for perfection. We are asking for a team that plays with purpose, a club that recruits intelligently and a side that can carry its domestic success into Europe.

Until we see that, the debate over whether we are being too critical will continue.

Because points win leagues, but performances tell us whether a team is genuinely moving forward.