Celtic survive Dundee scare as midfield questions linger
Deep into injury time, Celtic looked set to exit the cup at the hands of Dundee, but a moment of brilliance from new signing Adamu kept them in the competition. Tounekti’s clever pass found Adamu, who curled a stunning left-foot finish into the bottom corner, sparking a chaotic celebration at Paradise.
Despite the late heroics, Martin O’Neill has plenty to address. Integrating Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain into the squad is a priority, as Celtic’s midfield struggled significantly against Dundee.
Midfield uncertainty
Callum McGregor remains a consistent presence in the heart of Celtic’s midfield, but his partners are far from settled. Arne Engels’ future in Glasgow is still unclear after multiple rejected bids from Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, Reo Hatate, Luke McCowan, and Paulo Bernardo have all underwhelmed.
Hatate, once lauded by Chris Sutton as Scotland’s best player, is no longer the dynamic box-to-box threat he once was. His lack of pace and reluctance to play forward passes has hindered the team’s creativity, leaving O’Neill in urgent need of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s experience and drive.
Bernardo struggles to make an impact
With Engels unavailable and Oxlade-Chamberlain yet to feature, Bernardo was given a rare start.
However, the Portuguese midfielder’s performance highlighted why he has struggled to secure consistent game time. Across previous stints under Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy, Bernardo has seen limited minutes, and O’Neill appears similarly hesitant to rely on him, with just 200 minutes played this season.
O’Neill’s task is clear: get Oxlade-Chamberlain integrated swiftly while finding reliable partners for McGregor if Celtic are to strengthen their midfield and compete effectively.
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