Chris Sutton has told Celtic that current performances simply won’t win them the title.
Martin O’Neill’s men prevailed against St Mirren on Saturday, but it wasn’t the most pleasant performance on the eye.
This has been a theme this season, with the Hoops often lacking in attacking spark and creativity, relying on narrow wins to keep their heads above water in the title-race.
And Sutton thinks that they’re playing a dangerous game.
Thoughts on the 1-0 win?
Is it really all just about the result?
Chris Sutton says Celtic ‘just won’t’ win title with current performance
Sutton said on Sky Sports: “If Martin O’Neill is right with his calculations…
“He says they need to win all five games… Celtic can’t win the league with their level of performance. They just can’t.
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“Unless the wheels fall off Hearts and Rangers in their positions, I just don’t see it. Because performance is important.
“Why? Because they haven’t beat Hearts all season. They haven’t beat Rangers all season (in the league). I don’t think Hearts and Rangers fear Celtic.
“I don’t think any team particularly fears Celtic, and that is a problem. It’s ok getting the Green Brigade back in, and people talk about the atmosphere…
“But where I think that at Rangers and Hearts the whole club is connected, I still don’t think there is that connection at Celtic.
“I’m talking about on the park as well, with the players. You talk about the number of goals… 112 last season. 59 this season. That’s remarkable.”
Is this the worst group of finishers you’ve seen in a Celtic squad?
The fact that St Mirren – the tenth-placed team in the league with an inexperienced interim manager in charge – attempted (often successfully) to play through Celtic’s press on Saturday certainly backs up Sutton’s point.
With the team’s lack of attacking firepower, there simply isn’t enough there to prevent opposition teams from thinking that they can beat Celtic.
And though the “Martin O’Neill effect’ could still end up being enough to deliver the title, it certainly won’t be delivered the easy way.
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