2-2, 2 points dropped at Celtic Park, 3 out and out strikers start up front, and we’re left wondering just what the manager is playing at?
The team that scraped to a result against Hibs last Sunday failed to do it again last night. Changes needed? You bet there are!
Eric Knott 
25th October 2026; Easter Road Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland; Scottish Premiership Football, Hibernian versus Celtic; Celtic manager Martin ONeill
Before the game kicked off last night at Celtic Park, I was on the Bhoycie Bus.
Bhoycie asked me what I thought the starting line up would be.
I said I thought Martin O’Neill would change nothing from Sunday, and I was right.
He didn’t.
I also asked Bhoycie if he was still confident in the central defence pairing of Liam Scales and Dane Murray.
We both expressed doubts, and discussed the situation with Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Last night, Liam Scales was heavily involved in the concession of both of Dundee United’s goals.
His marking on Zach Sapsford for United’s first goal left an awful lot to be desired.
He stabbed their second goal into the back of the net, after the defence was all at sea following a United free kick.
Both himself and Dane Murray got tangled in each other as the ball was sent into the Celtic box
Yes, I know that Scales scored the equaliser, but under the circumstances, it was the least he could do.
Martin O’Neill’s team selections and substitutions are becoming more and more inexplcable.
More baffling with each passing game.
I’ll put it simply, his team selection cost us 3 points last night.
His insistence on persisting with the Murray/Scales partnership blew up in our faces.
He started with three out and out strikers up front and no wingers.
We know that Camilo Duran is not happy starting on the right hand side.
Callum Osmand, despite being a a striker, is a better option than Sebastian Tounekti.
I also understand that Kasper Hogh is getting game time because O’Neill needs him to start scoring goals for Celtic
What I do not understand is why O’Neill took two strikers off at half time, Hogh being one of them, and then added two wingers for the second half?
Surely if O’Neill wants Hogh to start scoring, then he needs to start with two wingers supplying him?
Two strikers supporting him, one who doesn’t want to play on the right, are clearly not the answer.
And it showed.
Once again, two quality players were left sitting on the bench in a game where we needed quality.
CCV and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain did not start.
I personally believe that if CCV had been in central defence, we would not have conceded the goals we did to Dundee United.
But that’s just me.
The impact Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had when he came on was instant.
He began pushing forward and creating chances.
Spreading passes, and controlling the midfield.
He almost came close to scoring the winner himself, when a blistering shot from him outside the box flashed just wide.
In the brief time he had on the pitch, he showed exactly what he brings to the midfield
Yet Martin O’Neill stuck with a largely ineffectual Benjamin Nygren up until the 81st minute.
Make no mistake, O’Neill’s team selection cost us 3 points last night.
That, and his baffling substitutions, and also the timing of them.
We can count ourselves lucky that no real damage was done in the title race due to our main rivals playing out a 2-2 draw themselves.
Up until now, Martin O’Neill had been getting away with it domestically when it came to his team selections.
The same team selection that laboured to a 2-1 win over Hibernian on Sunday was also going to be challenged by a better organised side.
But O’Neill did not heed the warning signs.
It could have cost us dearly.
Surely, though, it is a warning to O’Neill that the central defensive pairing needs to change, as well as the way we set up our front three?
I won’t hold my breath.
I won’t be surprised if we take to the field against on Sunday at the Falkirk Stadium with the exact same starting line up
Because if there’s one thing that’s for sure, Martin O’Neill and his coaching team are not learning from their mistakes.
Our combined chance concession since LASK tells us that much.
That number has now risen to over 200.
It cost us last night.
We’ve now dropped 5 points at home in the League.
If Martin doesn’t see the light soon, I fear it will be a lot more.
Change are needed.
It really is that simple…
Key Takeaways
- Celtic’s poor performance against Dundee United raised concerns about Martin O’Neill’s team selection and strategy.
- Liam Scales and Dane Murray struggled defensively, leading to both goals for Dundee United.
- Despite scoring an equaliser, Scales’ overall performance was lacking and O’Neill’s decisions harmed the team’s chances.
- O’Neill’s substitutions, especially the removal of players like Kasper Hogh, seemed illogical and ineffective.
- The team must change its approach to avoid further points lost in future matches.
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That Celtic team last night lack quality and effort. Missplaced passes all night, won very few first balls and Dundee United could have won that game. Celtic had little or no penetration until the wide men came on and by that time we were 2-1 down.because before that the only person getting in behind was Keiran Teirney. This Celtic coaching staff don’t know what their doing and niether do the directors. The whole thing is a mess from directors to coaching staff and now its spilling on to the performances. The whole thing is now a shambles.