Celtic Defeats St Johnstone – O’Neill’s Ruthless Verdict

Celtic took the points. They did not take the manager’s breath away.

A 1-0 win over St Johnstone on Wednesday kept the Hoops moving in the Scottish Premiership, yet Martin O’Neill walked away from Celtic Park more irritated than elated. His team had controlled almost everything that mattered – except the scoreboard.

They saw 60% of the ball, racked up an expected goals tally of 2.22 to St Johnstone’s 0.77 and fired 15 shots, nine of them on target. One goal. Just enough. Nowhere near enough for O’Neill.

The numbers painted dominance. The performance did not.

A big call on Duran

The most striking detail came before a ball was kicked. Camilo Duran, the Colombian forward who has rapidly become central to Celtic’s attack, started on the bench.

It was a bold call from O’Neill, and one he openly admitted had backfired.

Speaking to Clyde 1 Superscoreboard after the match, the Celtic manager explained that he had tried to give Duran a breather after a heavy workload and an exhausting display against St Mirren. The logic was clear. The outcome, less so.

“(Camilo) Durán doesn't start for us. He's just been class, and he looked tired in the game against St Mirren. 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," O’Neill said.

"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."

That last line cut through the night. Celtic had won, yet their manager used the moment to send a clear message to his squad, especially his forwards: standards are higher than this.

Duran’s impact, even in cameo

Duran’s absence from the starting XI felt jarring because of the form he has carried into his first season in Glasgow.

Nine matches in all competitions. Nine goal contributions. Six goals and three assists across the Premiership, League Cup and Champions League qualifiers. Those are not the figures of a player you casually rotate.

He had been decisive just days earlier. Against St Mirren on September 5, he laid on an assist in 83 minutes. Before that, against Aberdeen on September 2, he produced a goal and an assist in 75 minutes. He has arrived from Qarabag for a reported €5.5 million and immediately looked worth every cent.

Against St Johnstone, he was restricted to 17 minutes. It was long enough to remind everyone why leaving him out is a gamble. Celtic’s attack looked sharper, more aggressive, more alive with him on the pitch. The contrast only strengthened O’Neill’s blunt conclusion: this team, right now, struggles to do without Camilo Duran.

Wastefulness with derbies looming

The concern for O’Neill is not about one night’s profligacy. It is about what happens if this wastefulness repeats itself when the opposition is stronger and the stakes higher.

Those tests arrive immediately.

Celtic now walk into a defining stretch in September. Rangers await twice in eight days: first in the Scottish League Cup quarterfinals on Sunday, September 13, then again in the Premiership on September 20. Between those Old Firm clashes, Ferencvaros come to Glasgow on September 17 for the opening matchday of the UEFA Europa League.

This is the run that will shape the early story of Celtic’s season. And O’Neill already knows he will be a key man down. Yang Hyun-jun will be unavailable for both derbies, away with South Korea at the Asian Games.

So the picture is clear. Celtic are winning, but not convincingly enough for their manager. Their most relentless presser and one of their most productive attackers, Duran, is already close to indispensable. Another wide threat in Yang is about to disappear for international duty.

The results column still looks healthy. The performances, O’Neill insists, must catch up – and quickly. With Rangers and Europe on the horizon, narrow wins and missed chances may not be forgiven so easily.