As was evident in midweek, Scottish champions Celtic certainly aren’t at their free-flowing best right now, with the return of Martin O’Neill having seen the Hoops manage to efficiently grind out victories, keeping pace with the Premiership leaders.
This is the type of title race that simply hasn’t been seen in Scotland years, if not decades, with surprise package Hearts still the team to beat at the summit with only 12 games left to play.
With just six points separating the top three, and with Celtic boasting a game in hand at that, there isn’t much to split it, ensuring it could all go down to the wire in a thrilling climax to the campaign.
If there is to be a deciding factor, it might well be the Hoops’ prior and repeated experience of winning, with Hearts enjoying something of a breakout year, while Rangers have been crowned champions just once since 2011.
In O’Neill and Parkhead skipper, Callum McGregor, the Glasgow side boast 13 titles between them, with the latter man likely to again be pivotal if this season is to end in glory for the man in green and white.
Callum McGregor’s Celtic record by coach
It was telling of McGregor’s importance to this side that even in the recent Scottish Cup meeting with lower league outfit, Auchinleck Talbot, O’Neill still kept his captain on the field for 88 minutes, a sign of just how reliant the Hoops are on him to pull the strings in front of the back four.
At 32, the left-footer is such a cultured, midfield metronome now, having morphed into a deep-lying playmaker after bursting onto the scene under Ronny Deila as a more advanced, box-to-box talent, racking up 22 goals and assists in just 64 outings under the Norwegian.
That arguably remains his most fruitful period in terms of goal involvements, although the Scotsman did also thrive following Neil Lennon’s return to the club in 2018, having registered 40 goals and assists in 102 games in all.
|
McGregor – Celtic stats by coach |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Coach |
Games |
Goals (Assists) |
|
Rodgers |
264 |
38 (38) |
|
Lennon |
102 |
17 (23) |
|
Ange |
94 |
9 (8) |
|
Deila |
64 |
11 (11) |
|
O’Neill |
17 |
2 (1) |
|
Kennedy |
8 |
0 (0) |
|
Nancy |
8 |
0 (1) |
|
Strachan |
2 |
0 (0) |
It felt as if McGregor’s transition to his current role began following Ange Postecoglou’s arrival in Glasgow, with the Aussie allowing the likes of Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley take up more advanced posts, leaving his captain as the midfield lynchpin keeping things ticking over in the pivot.
Indeed, that is reflected in the long-serving stalwart having actually only registered 17 goal involvements in 94 games during Postecoglou’s glittering two-year stint in charge, albeit with that not exactly telling the full story, with McGregor proving truly “irreplaceable” in the eyes of his manager.
That status hasn’t changed in more recent times, with the midfield ever-present still boasting that knack for the spectacular, so often pulling a rabbit out of the hat with a moment of genius.
If Celtic are to emerge victorious this season then, McGregor will again be central to it – and he isn’t the only one.
Celtic’s “underrated” talent is still soaring at Parkhead
There’s been so much change and upheaval at Parkhead over the last few years, with transfer success stories having been few and far between, ensuring it’s the same old faces who continue to deliver the goods week in, week out.
Bad news: Celtic have signed a “weird” player who looks like the new Palma
Celtic may have made a mistake in the transfer market on first impressions.
Alongside McGregor, there’s the experienced heads of James Forrest and Kieran Tierney, two men who know all about what it takes to win, and win repeatedly, even while not always being the star attraction of the team.
One “underrated” talent – in the view of ex-Celtic stopper Joe Hart – who can also now be added to that experienced core is towering centre-back, Liam Scales, with the Irishman having been quietly consistent over an extended period now in Glasgow.
Signed from Shamrock Rovers for just £500k back in 2022, the left-footed defender looked like an odd addition at the time, having initially been utilised at left-back by Postecoglou, before heading out on loan to Aberdeen the following season.
The original Stephen Welsh, if you will, having memorably netted against Rangers that year while at Pittodrie, Scales’ future back at Celtic looked to be over, with a permanent stay with the Dons having been mooted.
And yet, after a raft of injuries and transfer misfires in the centre-back department, Rodgers called on his services for the 2023/24 campaign, and, in truth, the 27-year-old hasn’t looked back since, now a mainstay of the side in his left-sided centre-back berth.
Now up to 137 games in all competitions for the club, Scales has featured in 40 games already this season, only sitting out the trip to Livingston in December.
He isn’t without his faults, although the dependable asset is a real menace in both boxes, memorably producing a stunning last-ditch challenge in the recent meeting at Tynecastle, while having scored one of eight goals for the club to date in the crucial Europa League win over Sturm Graz.
One of the pillars of this Celtic side now, not least in the absence of Cameron Carter-Vickers, that is reflected in his market value, with the £500k signing deemed to be worth €5m (£4m), as per Transfermarkt, placing him ahead of his captain in that regard, who is valued at €4.5m (£3.5m).
At a time when far too many transfers appear to be going south, Scales’ bargain capture can be pointed to as one of the few real success stories. Long may it continue.
Better than Cvancara & Adamu: Celtic already have their own Claudio Braga
Claudio Braga has been a real story of this Premiership season, although Celtic have their own wildcard signing to shout about.
