Martin O’Neill Has Four Big Attacking Problems at Celtic — And the International Break Is the Time to Fix Them

Two wins in four days have certainly made the mood around Celtic a little better, but I don’t think anyone should be getting carried away.

The victory over Beşiktaş was brilliant, and getting the three points against Kilmarnock was important. But when we look beyond the results, there are still some fairly obvious problems with how this Celtic team is functioning.

And Martin O’Neill has a big decision to make.

The first is Kasper Høgh.

We spent a club-record fee bringing the Danish striker to Glasgow, and although his early hat-trick gave us plenty of excitement, he has now gone 16 games without scoring. His disallowed effort against Kilmarnock was another frustrating moment, and he still looks short of the confidence and sharpness we expected.

I don’t think writing him off is the answer. Strikers go through difficult spells, and Høgh needs time to settle.

But Celtic cannot afford to keep hoping that things will eventually click without changing anything around him.

Then there is Camilo Durán.

He has been our most productive attacking player, with 13 goals according to recent reports, yet we continue to see him pushed out wide to accommodate Høgh through the middle.

I understand that O’Neill wants to give his record signing every opportunity to succeed, but surely our most dangerous forward should be playing in the position where he can do the most damage?

Durán has shown what he can do centrally, particularly with his impact against Beşiktaş. There is a serious argument that he should be the first name on the team sheet up front.

The third issue is Haissem Hassan.

There is clearly a talented footballer in there. He has pace, can beat defenders and offers the natural width that Celtic have sometimes lacked. However, two assists in 17 appearances and no goals is not the return we need from a player who arrived for significant money.

His omission from the Kilmarnock squad only added to the questions surrounding his role.

O’Neill has spoken about manoeuvring and creating competition for places, but Hassan needs a proper opportunity to show what he can do. We cannot spend that sort of money on a winger and then struggle to find a way to use him.

Finally, there is the formation itself.

Our midfield has looked vulnerable at times, particularly when opponents get through the first press. We have quality players, but the balance is not always right, and too often our forwards look disconnected from the rest of the team.

Could a change in shape help? A 3-5-2 would allow Durán and Høgh to play together, while potentially giving us more protection in midfield. But it could also limit the opportunities for natural wingers such as Hassan and Jota.

There is no perfect solution, but that is exactly what O’Neill needs to work out.

The international break gives him time to look at the footage, assess the squad and decide what his strongest attacking combination actually is.

We cannot keep relying on individual moments to rescue performances.

The Beşiktaş comeback showed what this team can produce when the energy and attacking intent are there. Now we need to see it consistently.

Høgh needs confidence, Durán needs to play where he is most dangerous, and Hassan needs clarity, and the team needs a system that gets the best out of its attacking players.

Four problems, one manager and two weeks to find some answers.

The results have bought O’Neill some breathing space.

Now he needs to use it.