Celtic's title race is all but over after a horrendous 2-0 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday. Will Ferry opened the scoring just six minutes into the second half, with Emmanuel Agyei doubling the home side's advantage 15 minutes later.
Martin O'Neill's side were nothing short of terrible. It seemed as though none of the players was having any sort of impact, with bad performances all over the pitch. Notably, Benjamin Nygren and Reo Hatate were brought off in the second 45, with both players on the receiving end of a lot of criticism.
Captain Callum McGregor was also hooked, meaning that all three starting midfielders eventually came off. That is usually unheard of at Celtic, but none of them made an impact at Tannadice. It was painfully obvious that McGregor was not fit enough for this game, which makes sense considering it was his return from injury. That leaves the question of why the manager opted to start him.
The Hoops really felt the loss of Julian Araujo too. Colby Donovan was caught out. His crossing in the final third was really bad, and he needs to work on that. Not only that, but his defence is nothing to write home about. If Celtic want to push on, we need serious options at right back, and we need them soon. Hopefully, after the international break, we'll have Araujo and Alistair Johnston close to their returns.
We also want to point out Daizen Maeda's shocking performance. Too often has the winger looked completely lost this season. There have been some bright spells, but it has not been enough to rescue his Celtic career. He will certainly be on his way out in the summer.
With three important points dropped, it leaves O'Neill's side in a very difficult position. Now trailing Hearts by five points again and sitting firmly in third place, there could be no coming back.
Is the season over?
At this point, the season could be over. If the Hoops keep playing like this, then there will be no chance of winning the Scottish Premiership. Thankfully, injured players are set to return after the break, so maybe there is still a chance.
Hopefully, this will be a big sign to the board that they either need to invest in the team properly or step down from their positions. They are unfit for purpose, and they have proven it over and over this season. How much longer will supporters have to endure watching a football team that looks like a shell of its former self?
Under a new manager, things will look up, but only if they are backed. We need a lot of players through the door in the summer, and we need to let a lot of squad members go as well. A full rebuild is needed, but only time will tell if we'll get it.