Celtic have won 13 of the last 14 Premiership titles, only ending a campaign trophyless twice since 2003. However, the next fortnight or so could leave them on the brink of a catastrophic season. On Sunday, Martin O'Neill's team were beaten 2-1 by Hibs at Parkhead, seeing Auston Trusty sent off late on before teenager Kai Andrews won it for the Hibees right at the death. At the other end of the park, the Bhoys' centre-forward continue to misfire, one of the many issues facing this team.
Celtic's centre-forward statistics 2025/26
Strikers | Total goals | League goals | Total mins |
|---|---|---|---|
Johnny Kenny | 6 | 4 | 1,108 |
Kelechi Ịheanachọ | 3 | 1 | 580 |
Tomáš Čvančara | 1 | 1 | 545 |
Junior Adamu | 1 | Zero | 115 |
Callum Osmand | 1 | Zero | 108 |
Amazingly, Celtic's top-scoring striker this season is Johnny Kenny with six, and he isn't even available to O'Neill right now, having been loaned out to Bolton Wanderers on deadline day.
The Irishman aside, the Hoops' other four centre-forwards have scored just six goals and only two in the Premiership, with Kelechi Ịheanachọ, who has only played 580 minutes due to persistent injury issues, the most prolific of the quartet.
In fairness, Callum Osmand is sidelined long-term following hamstring surgery, while both Junior Adamu and Tomáš Čvančara only arrived in the winter, but the pair need to start becoming more prolific. If this output doesn't improve, Celtic could be on course for an historically disastrous campaign.
More Celtic misery to come
Sunday saw Celtic beaten for the seventh time in the Premiership already this season. It was the first time O'Neill had been beaten in the league, with four of these defeats coming during Wilfried Nancy's infamous 33-day stint in charge. The Hoops have not lost more league games for over a quarter of a century, while the tally of seven is seemingly likely to rise in the coming weeks.
Times Celtic have suffered 7+ league defeats (1980-present)
Seasons | Defeats | League finish |
|---|---|---|
2025/26 | 7 | TBC |
2012/13 | 7 | Champions |
2009/10 | 7 | Runners-up |
1999/00 | 9 | Runners-up |
1998/99 | 7 | Runners-up |
1996/97 | 7 | Runners-up |
1994/95 | 7 | 4th |
1993/94 | 9 | 4th |
1992/93 | 8 | 3rd |
1991/92 | 8 | 3rd |
1990/91 | 12 | 3rd |
1989/90 | 12 | 5th |
1988/89 | 11 | 3rd |
1986/87 | 8 | Runners-up |
1983/84 | 7 | Runners-up |
Since 1979, Celtic have only lost 7+ league matches and still managed to win the title once, doing so in 2012/13, this the first year after Rangers' liquidation.
Meantime, the Hoops have only lost 8+ games in a single league campaign on eight occasions since 1980, doing so only 18 times across the last 73 years. Their all-time record is 15 loses in 1947/48, a record that not even the most pessimistic of supporters will feel is under threat, right?
More relevant is the fact that the club's lowest points tally since the start of the new millennium is the 77 accumulated during the horrendous Covid-season. Right now, they require 23 more points from their last 11 outings just to match that, which appears unlikely at this stage.
With an Old Firm derby against Rangers to come on Sunday, followed by a trip to Pittodrie and then a return to Ibrox in the Scottish Cup the following weekend, the mood among supporters may be about to get even more bleak.
What would really help O'Neill is if just one of his centre-forwards would start scoring goals. Ịheanachọ is obviously talented but cannot stay fit, while Čvančara has shown signs of promise, but now needs to justify his £7 million option to buy price tag.