Cameron Carter-Vickers Is Becoming a Major Problem for Celtic — And We Should Have Replaced Him Last Summer

There is no getting away from it: Cameron Carter-Vickers had a nightmare against Falkirk.

His mistake in the opening minutes gifted Ethan Ross the opportunity to put the home side ahead, and it was the sort of error that immediately put Celtic under pressure in a match we desperately needed to win.

But perhaps the bigger question is why we are still having the same conversation about our central defence.

Carter-Vickers returned to the starting XI after injury, replacing Dane Murray, who had been given opportunities in his absence. O’Neill explained afterwards that the decision was partly about managing the workload of the squad, with players needing to be rotated during a busy run of fixtures.

That is understandable, but it does not mean the performance should be ignored.

Carter-Vickers has been an important player for Celtic over a number of seasons. At his best, he is strong, composed and capable of dominating opposition forwards. He has played a significant role in our domestic success.

However, we cannot keep judging him solely on what he has delivered in previous seasons.

The time to start planning for his replacement was 2025.

Celtic should always be looking ahead, particularly when it comes to a position as important as centre-back. We needed to identify a long-term successor rather than continue relying on the same defensive options and hoping injuries would not become an issue.

There is also the wider problem of how our midfield protects the defence. McGregor needs the right players alongside him, players who can cover ground, win challenges and prevent opponents from running directly at our back four.

We simply have not got that balance right.

When the midfield is being bypassed so easily, the defenders are left exposed. That does not excuse individual mistakes, but it does highlight how interconnected our problems have become.

Dane Murray has shown enough to deserve serious consideration, even if he is still developing and will make mistakes of his own. We cannot expect young defenders to improve if we only give them opportunities when injuries leave us with no alternative.

The answer is not necessarily to discard Carter-Vickers overnight. He deserves the chance to respond to a poor performance, and one bad afternoon should not erase everything he has done for Celtic.

But we need to be honest about the bigger picture.

Celtic require a new defensive leader, and that should have been a priority long before this January.

If Carter-Vickers can rediscover his consistency, excellent. But we cannot allow sentiment to prevent us from strengthening a position that has needed attention for some time.

The Falkirk defeat should be another reminder that our defensive rebuild cannot wait forever.