Celtic Edge St Johnstone: O’Neill Unimpressed by Performance
Celtic got the win. That was about the only thing Martin O’Neill truly liked.
A 1–0 victory over St Johnstone on Wednesday kept the Hoops moving in the Scottish Premiership, yet their manager walked away distinctly unimpressed. The numbers painted a picture of control: 60% possession, an expected goals tally of 2.22 to the visitors’ 0.77, 15 shots with 9 on target. The scoreline – and the performance – told a different story.
They laboured. They prodded. They finally found a goal. But the cutting edge O’Neill demands simply never arrived.
Duran Left Out – And Quickly Missed
One decision dominated the pre-match chatter: Camilo Duran was not in the starting XI. The Colombian forward, who has been one of Celtic’s standout performers since arriving from Qarabag in the summer for €5.5 million, began on the bench.
O’Neill’s reasoning only underlined how much he values him – and how much his side struggled without him.
Speaking to Clyde 1 Superscoreboard after the game, O’Neill admitted he had tried to see how his team would cope without Duran leading the line. The experiment backfired.
“(Camilo) Durán doesn't start for us. He's just been class, and he looked tired in the game against St Mirren,” O’Neill said, highlighting the workload the forward has carried. He then spelled out why Duran has become so central to Celtic’s identity.
With the ball, O’Neill called him “terrific.” Without it, he praised the relentless pressing, noting Duran is “second only to Daizen (Maeda) in terms of closing players down.” That blend of quality and graft is rare – and Celtic felt the absence.
“So I wanted to try and see if we could do without him,” O’Neill added, “and the answer is probably not.”
Duran’s impact this season explains the manager’s blunt conclusion. He has 9 goal contributions in 9 games across the Premiership, League Cup and Champions League qualifiers: 6 goals and 3 assists. He has been a constant threat and a constant presence.
The recent schedule shows how heavily Celtic have leaned on him. Against Aberdeen on September 2, Duran scored and assisted in a 75-minute outing. Three days later, against St Mirren on September 5, he supplied another assist and played 83 minutes. By the time St Johnstone arrived, fatigue had clearly become a concern.
O’Neill limited him to just 17 minutes on Wednesday. Those 17 minutes, though, only reinforced the feeling that Celtic are a different side when he is on the pitch.
Wasteful Hoops, Warning From the Boss
The statistics underline why O’Neill’s post-match tone felt more like a warning than a celebration. Celtic created enough to win comfortably, but their finishing deserted them. Dominant territory, wave after wave of attacks, yet only a single goal to show for it.
For a manager who has set high standards, that is not a sustainable pattern. His comments carried a clear message to the forwards: the work rate is non-negotiable, but chances must be taken. Performances like this, even in victory, will not shield anyone from scrutiny.
A Brutal September Ahead
There is no time for Celtic to dwell on a flat display. The calendar is unforgiving, and the stakes are about to rise.
Next comes Rangers. Twice.
On Sunday, September 13, Celtic face their biggest rivals in the Scottish League Cup quarterfinals. A week later, on September 20, the same opponents await in the Premiership’s seventh matchday. Both fixtures will shape the mood and momentum of the early season.
Between those derbies sits a significant European test. Ferencvaros visit Glasgow on September 17 for Celtic’s opening match in the UEFA Europa League group stage.
O’Neill will also have to navigate a key absence. Yang Hyun-jun will miss both Rangers clashes as he joins up with South Korea for the Asian Games, stripping Celtic of another attacking option at a time when rotation and freshness are vital.
The St Johnstone win kept the points column ticking over, but it also exposed how dependent Celtic already look on Duran’s energy and end product. With Rangers looming twice and Europe returning to Celtic Park, the question now is simple: can this team find the ruthless edge their manager is demanding, or will narrow wins and nagging doubts define their September?
