Celtic lost to Falkirk on Sunday in the Scottish Premiership, marking their second league defeat of the season and their sixth in the last 10 matches across all competitions. Despite the loss, Celtic remains four points clear at the top of the table.
Chris Sutton told Sky Sports that the club is in decline and that the team is in regression. "Celtic is not a well-functioning team at the moment," Sutton said, adding that they are "deficient in every area of the team." He highlighted that the current squad is "miles away" and questioned where the plan and strategy are.
Ian McCall joined Sutton in his criticism, noting that age and injuries are taking a toll on previously unmatched performers. According to McCall, Carter-Vickers, Tierney, McGregor and Forrest are not what they used to be for various reasons. "It is cruel in football," McCall said, suggesting that Callum McGregor’s issues are due to injury or overuse and that their bodies may no longer be capable of the levels they once had. He concluded that this is not "vintage Celtic." Kris Boyd stated that he "could not see what Celtic was trying to do."
The statistics favoured Celtic: they had 24 shots to Falkirk’s six, nine shots on target to Falkirk’s two (which resulted in their two goals), more than double the possession, nearly three times as many touches in the opponent’s penalty area, and 14 corners to Falkirk’s none. Falkirk goalkeeper Scott Bain, a former Celtic player, stood out in goal against his former club, and Martin O'Neill acknowledged his performance. Falkirk "digged in" when they needed to cross the line.
Celtic had previously recovered from League Cup and league defeats to Rangers with a solid win at Motherwell, beating Hearts 7-1 at home and Hibernian 2-1 in a comeback, before drawing 2-2 with Dundee United on Wednesday, which was a missed opportunity to extend their lead at the top. They now face the possibility of Rangers and Hearts closing in if they win their remaining fixtures. Their next opponent is Besiktas in the Europa League, a home match Celtic must win for any chance of progression, after starting the competition with three defeats.
Pat Bonner told BBC Radio Scotland that it had been a "brilliant weekend for Rangers." Rangers beat Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-final on Saturday to reach the final, and Celtic’s defeat allows Rangers to reduce the gap when they play their additional match. "It puts a lot of pressure on Celtic with a European game midweek," Bonner said, adding that Celtic will find it hard to recover.
Martin O'Neill returned to the Celtic dressing room twice in moments of need last season and ultimately led the club to a double in the league and cup. Celtic are top of the Premiership after 12 matches, and O'Neill highlighted that the club is in a better position than at the same stage last season, when they were four points behind leading Hearts. "I don't know if the fans are angry," O'Neill told BBC Sport Scotland. "Every time Celtic lose, people can be angry and frustrated. We are under the microscope and we should be because the club is used to winning. This is a long season, and we were in a worse position at this time last year." Asked about the number of changes in the team, he replied: "Why wouldn't you change the team? We have plenty of games. We are playing European football, trying to keep the Scottish flag high. It is hard for the same players to play every week."
Fans are divided. Alan stated that the "concept is lost" and that the bench selection was strange, with the half-time substitution being even stranger as they "took off two of the best midfielders and left the captain who is not playing well on the pitch." Imran believes football has changed too much for O'Neill to be a modern manager and that he should step aside to allow a younger, more ambitious manager to take over, as it would be a shame if his legacy were tarnished. Sean said it was "very, very bad" and that Falkirk deserved the win. Kevin urged fans to keep faith and stay strong. Edward assessed it as a poor performance, stating that Johnstone is in no way superior to Sinisalo and that he was surprised by Carter-Vickers' performance; he questioned whether O'Neill can improve this team and asserted that "the unthinkable must now be considered." Liam said that is enough, that it is quickly turning into a catastrophe and that a change is needed — from the board to the manager, coaching staff and players — and that it is about quality over quantity.
