Celtic's leadership group simply has to step up to prevent this team from rotting on the back of three very poor defeats. The Bhoys have now lost back-to-back games against Rangers and also lost their Europa League opener with Ferencvaros between the two derbies.
Martin O'Neill is now under real pressure after failing to find any answers for the unfolding disasters in these games, but he has warned that his squad has serious gaps, and he is not wrong.
The midfield is legless, being run over on repeat, and it certainly doesn't help that the attack has suddenly stopped functioning. Players like Camilo Duran, Kasper Hogh and Haissem Hassan suddenly have no confidence, and there doesn't seem to be any changing it.
Celtic are melting away in games, and no one, not O'Neill, Shaun Maloney, or those on the pitch can do anything to stop it.
And going into the international break on such poor results, there is a danger of this situation spiralling,
Speaking on Sky Sports, pundit Kris Boyd said of the situation: "But there’s a lot of negativity kicking around Celtic Park right now.
“And if it’s not addressed pretty quickly, this can start to unravel. Because there is something broken at Celtic right now.”
Leaders must come to the fore
Something that hasn't been discussed as much, likely because of O'Neill's struggles on the sidelines, is the lack of leadership on the pitch. Callum McGregor has had a nightmare last couple of games, but beyond his performances, he hasn't been the leader he is capable of being.
He may not always be the shout and scream type, but as a captain, there are moments for that, and there have certainly been some moments in the last few games. It's not just him, either, Kieran Tierney, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, where is the leadership?
Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo is the only player shouting at people, and that's almost the nature of the goalkeeper position. It's all just passive and accepting, and that shouldn't be the case in such situations.
There are moments for calmness in the storm, perhaps when conceding first, but when players are making mistakes in the 60th minute, when there is a lack of effort while 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go, players have to be digging out teammates.
Celtic need more of that if they are going to turn this situation around, yes, but also if they are going to learn to deal with difficult situations within games and avoid poor results unfolding.
Add us as a preferred source on Google