Celtic’s International Break Couldn’t Come at a Better Time — O’Neill Has Plenty to Fix Before the Next Run of Fixtures

For once, I think supporters can go into an international break feeling slightly better about things. Two wins in four days against Beşiktaş and Kilmarnock have given Martin O’Neill some breathing space, but I don’t think anyone should be pretending that everything is suddenly fixed.

The 3-2 comeback against Beşiktaş was exactly the sort of result we needed. Seeing Callum Osmand and Camilo Durán come off the bench and make such a difference was a real positive, particularly after weeks of watching Celtic struggle to create anything going forward.

But Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock brought us back down to earth a little. We got the three points, and that’s what matters most, but the performance was hardly convincing. A disallowed goal, a missed penalty and some nervy moments late on reminded us that there is still plenty of work to do.

And that’s why this break is so important.

Firstly, O’Neill needs to get his squad as fit as possible. Mika Baur’s ankle injury is an immediate concern, while Alistair Johnston has already been struggling with another hamstring problem. Hopefully, the medical team can use this period to get players back on the pitch rather than watching our squad get any thinner.

Secondly, we need some consistency in selection. O’Neill has admitted that he still doesn’t know his best Celtic team, and while injuries and a hectic fixture schedule have played their part, we cannot keep changing things every week and expect the players to develop an understanding.

There are questions all over the pitch. Who should be starting on the right wing? Can Høgh build on his impact against Kilmarnock? Where does Hassan fit into O’Neill’s plans? And what is our strongest midfield combination with Baur out?

These aren’t questions that should still be hanging over the team at this stage of the season.

I also want to see more from us in the final third. We have spent far too much of this campaign making football look difficult. We need more pace, more movement and players willing to take responsibility rather than constantly passing the ball sideways and hoping something eventually happens.

The international break gives O’Neill time on the training pitch to work on those things. It also gives him an opportunity to look at some of the younger players and decide whether they can offer something different when the squad returns.

The two victories have given us a platform, but they haven’t erased the problems that came before them. We have been inconsistent, struggled in Europe and dropped far too many points in matches where we should have been doing better.

The challenge now is to make sure these results become the beginning of a proper run rather than another brief spell of optimism.

Celtic supporters have been patient enough this season. We don’t need another round of excuses or promises about what might happen next. We need to see a team that knows what it is doing, understands its roles and can put teams away.

Enjoy the break, get the injured players back and get the strongest possible Celtic side ready for what’s coming.

Because two wins are a start, Martin, but we need a lot more than that.