Celtic's Victory Over St. Johnstone: O’Neill's Clear Message
Celtic got the win. That was the good part. Almost everything else about their 1–0 victory over St. Johnstone on Wednesday left Martin O’Neill cold.
His side controlled the ball, saw more of the game, and racked up the numbers. Sixty percent possession. An expected goals tally of 2.22 to St. Johnstone’s 0.77. Fifteen shots, nine of them on target. On paper, it looks like routine dominance.
On the pitch, it looked like a team short of a cutting edge.
The champions eventually forced the breakthrough, but for long stretches they laboured in the final third, recycling attacks without landing the decisive blow. The scoreline flattered St. Johnstone; the performance did not flatter Celtic.
The Gamble Without Duran
One decision stood out before a ball was kicked. Camilo Duran, Celtic’s in-form Colombian forward, dropped to the bench.
It was a bold call. Duran has been electric since arriving from Qarabag in the summer for €5.5 million, a constant menace with and without the ball. Yet O’Neill chose to rest him, a move that instantly raised eyebrows among supporters and pundits.
After the match, speaking to Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, O’Neill did not hide behind the result. He tied his post-game verdict directly to that choice.
“(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. “But I'm not surprised for the amount of things that he does for us, both with the ball, which is terrific, and also the work that he does off it.
“He's second only to Daizen (Maeda) in terms of closing players down. So I wanted to try and see if we could do without him, and the answer is probably not.”
The message was as sharp as it was simple: even on tired legs, Duran has become almost indispensable.
Duran’s Numbers Tell Their Own Story
O’Neill’s admission is backed up by the stats. Duran has matched games with goal contributions this season: nine matches, nine direct involvements. Six goals, three assists across the Premiership, League Cup and Champions League qualifiers.
He has not just been scoring; he has been shaping games.
On September 2 against Aberdeen, he produced a goal and an assist. Three days later versus St. Mirren, he added another assist. He played 75 minutes in the Aberdeen win, 83 against St. Mirren, and only 17 off the bench against St. Johnstone.
Those brief minutes in midweek underlined the difference. Celtic looked more purposeful with him on the pitch, more willing to run in behind, more aggressive in closing down from the front. The contrast only strengthened O’Neill’s conclusion: this is not a player he can easily rotate out.
A Demanding Manager, A Blunt Warning
The win keeps Celtic moving, but O’Neill’s tone cut through any temptation to celebrate a simple three points. His comments served as a warning to his forwards and attacking midfielders: dominance without ruthlessness will not be enough this season.
He expected more from those given the chance in Duran’s absence. They did not deliver. The manager’s decision to spell that out publicly suggests standards at Lennoxtown will not be allowed to drift, even in victory.
A Brutal September Awaits
There is no time for Celtic to dwell on an unconvincing display. The calendar has turned hostile.
Next up: Rangers. Twice.
On Sunday, September 13, Celtic face their fiercest rivals in the Scottish League Cup quarterfinals. A week later, on September 20, the same opponents await in the Premiership’s seventh matchday. Two derbies, two high-stakes tests of nerve and quality, in the space of seven days.
Wedged between those Old Firm clashes is the start of another campaign: Ferencvaros visit Glasgow on September 17 for Celtic’s opening match in the UEFA Europa League group stage.
Complicating matters, O’Neill will be without Yang Hyun-jun for that run. The South Korean winger is heading to the Asian Games with his national team, depriving Celtic of another attacking option just as the schedule tightens and the margins shrink.
The St. Johnstone game may have ended with three points, but it also exposed a truth O’Neill was quick to underline: Celtic cannot rely on numbers and territory alone. With Rangers looming and Europe about to begin, the question is no longer whether they can win ugly.
It is whether they can find their ruthless streak before the season’s biggest battles arrive.
