Martin O’Neill is less than a week into the Celtic job and already he is being told there is a player who is a ‘problem’ for him.
O’Neill returned to the Bhoys 33 days after leaving the club in his first interim spell.
Since then a tumultuous period occurred as Celtic were forced to sack Wilfried Nancy which then saw the Northern Irishman take up his second interim period at Paradise.
Celtic are currently six points behind Hearts and three adrift of Rangers as the Hoops sit, embarrassingly, in third place in the Scottish Premiership table this season.
Should Celtic prioritise replacing Kasper Schmeichel in the transfer window?
With some serious recruitment required by Celtic in January, former striker Chris Sutton has added another position that O’Neill must address in the transfer window as he slams one Hoops star’s fitness levels.
- READ MORE: What Stephen McGowan was hearing about ex-Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy from Lennoxtown ‘from day one’
Celtic hero Sutton slams Kasper Schmeichel’s fitness
Celtic fans have long had rumblings about Kasper Schmeichel’s performances this season as the big Dane looks a shadow of the player he was when he first signed.
With murmurings that Schmeichel isn’t putting in the effort at training, Sutton has said the goalkeeper is starting to look really unfit this season.
Sutton told The Warm Up, “I think a must is a new goalkeeper. I think Kasper Schmeichel has had an unbelievable career, an incredible career.
“And he has been an outstanding goalkeeper, but this season he just hasn’t been the same.
“You know, he looks big. He looks sort of slightly heavy and I think he’s a problem for Celtic.”
Kasper Schmeichel’s Celtic career in numbers
Schmeichel was superb in his first two seasons at Celtic as he took over between the sticks from Joe Hart.
His record at Celtic is undeniable, so here, 67 Hail Hail looks at what Schmeichel has achieved in Paradise over the last season-and-a-half.
- Appearances: 78
- Clean sheets: 35
- Conceded: 81
- Save %: 72%
- Trophies: 1 x Scottish Premiership, 1 x League Cup
Schmeichel was crucial in Celtic’s Champions League campaign last season but it is undeniable the drop-off in performances this year.
With Viljami Sinisalo on the sidelines, maybe now is the time to take Schmeichel out of the firing line and give the young Finnish goalkeeper his chance.
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