Celtic beat St Mirren at Parkhead with five games left in the Premiership season, but the performance raised serious concerns about a side still chasing the title.
Celtic got the result they needed, but the performance against St Mirren followed a familiar pattern that is starting to alarm some fans.
There have now been repeated signs that this team is not progressing and producing title-winning performances as the run-in demands.
That is the real issue, because the pattern is no longer isolated to one match as Celtic limp from win to win with each passing game.
Thoughts on the 1-0 win?
Is it really all just about the result?
Celtic are no longer improving when it matters most
Celtic beat St Mirren 1-0 and the result keeps them in the title race, but it exposed familiar problems fans have witnessed for a number of months now.
Martin O’Neill admitted the performance level dropped, stating that energy levels concerned the Celtic boss as the game wore on.
There were also long periods in control for the visitors, which is not something Celtic can afford at this stage of the season.
O’Neill insisted the level would return, but that belief is exactly what Michael Stewart has questioned.
Commenting on O’Neill’s post-match verdict that Celtic will get their energy levels back, Stewart told The Scottish Football Social Club, “Yeah. And I mean, look, you only just need to listen to Martin O’Neill’s comments afterwards with regards to he said himself explicitly that the the energy levels were concerning for him. He also said that, we’ll get it back, but that’s easier said than done.
“And you know, when you get to this stage of the season, I feel the die is cast in regards to how teams are and what they’re what they’re doing. It would take a huge turn up the books for things to dramatically change.
“So Celtic are clearly competitive, but they’ve not really found a groove where they’re blowing teams away. Now they’re capable. The chances and the probability of that happening in the last five games, I’m not sure.
“As I said the die is cast to a certain extent and as we’ve just spoken about with with Hearts, their mentality is comparable with the likes of Celtic and Rangers this season. Hence why they’re sitting top of the table.
“And with all probability this campaign is going to go right to the death. I think everybody gets a feeling of that now because we’re we’re only five games to go. For things to change so dramatically away from what we’ve seen already, I just don’t see that happening.”
The key point is that Celtic have not found a groove, and Stewart does not believe that is about to change.
Celtic’s recurring flaws are now defining their season
The same pattern was clear in Celtic’s 2-1 win over Dundee. O’Neill admitted they made it really tight by failing to take chances that should have settled the match.
They had created chance after chance but still left the door open, which is becoming a defining trait this season.
That combination of low energy and poor finishing explains why Celtic are grinding through games rather than controlling them.
The table reflects that pressure, with Celtic on 67 points and still chasing going into the final stretch.
There is no margin for error, yet the performances suggest there is no sudden improvement coming either.
Stewart’s view is clear, the level Celtic have shown is the level they will carry into the run-in.
Celtic are not building towards something better, they are managing what they already are.
The final five games will test whether that is enough.
Right now, the evidence suggests it might not be.
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