Celtic’s striker debate has dragged on, but the evidence now points in one clear direction. The answer is already inside the squad and recent performances have made that impossible for Martin O’Neill to ignore.
Celtic needed extra time to beat St Mirren 6-2, and that alone tells the story. The margin looks comfortable, but the breakthrough only came late as the Hoops scored four Hampden goals in extra-time.
That late surge has shifted the conversation around attacking options. It has also exposed where the real difference is being made for Celtic in the forward areas.
The contrast is now clear, Kelechi Iheanacho is delivering decisive moments in key phases, but there is another player at Celtic who could support the big forward and he’s right under O’Neill’s nose.
Should Celtic hand Kelechi Iheanacho a new contract?
Celtic must start Iheanacho to control the outcome
Iheanacho scored twice in extra time when the game was still in the balance. That is the exact moment Celtic needed control and he provided it.
This is a Celtic player delivering when the pressure was really on. The striker delivered when others had not, and that shifts selection from debate about Iheanacho into having him start for the title run in.
Now there are clear reservations about the Celtic striker’s fitness, but that should not be an issue if O’Neill uses Callum Osmand’s electric pace to complement Iheanacho’s powerful style.
Celtic already know how to use Osmand for maximum impact
Osmand has shown twice that he can change games quickly, first when he scored and got an opponent sent off for Celtic B within 12 minutes as his rapid pace caused problems, and then when he scored a decisive extra-time goal against Rangers in the League Cup.
In both cases, his impact came through direct running and pace that defenders struggled to deal with and that is something Celtic lack in the striking department.
The pattern is obvious, Osmand does not need long spells to influence a match. His strength is in moments where the game opens up and space appears.
That gives Celtic a clear answer to when Iheanacho’s fitness wanes and Osmand comes on. It is a balance that could deliver for O’Neill in the defence of the title.
Celtic do not need to search for a solution because it is already there. The only question now is whether Martin O’Neill acts on what the evidence is already showing.
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