Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel’s future at the club has been uncertain, with growing demands for Viljami Sinisalo to take his place. Schmeichel, 39, seems to be past his best, and Chris Sutton believes Martin O’Neill’s history of dropping out-of-form goalkeepers should worry him.
Sutton, who played under O’Neill at Celtic, recalled the former manager’s ruthless decisions with goalkeepers. O’Neill dropped Rab Douglas and Magnus Hedman, and even withdrew a contract offer for Javier Sanchez Broto when he took too long to sign.
Writing in the Daily Record, Sutton said: “You can talk about Schmeichel having experience, but keeping the ball out of the net is more important. It’s a big call, but O’Neill has always been ruthless when he’s had to be. He brought in Broto and dropped Douglas and Hedman. Broto was left crying for days when O’Neill pulled the plug on his contract offer.”
Schmeichel should be concerned, as O’Neill isn’t afraid to make tough decisions. If the current manager thinks Sinisalo is a better option, Schmeichel could be dropped. The 39-year-old needs to prove he’s undroppable, or risk losing his place to the younger goalkeeper.
Celtic’s recent performances have been patchy, and the goalkeeper position is crucial. If Schmeichel isn’t performing, it’s likely he’ll be replaced. Sinisalo is waiting in the wings, and Joel Mvuka’s lack of appearances since his debut shows O’Neill isn’t afraid to shake things up. Schmeichel needs to show he’s still got it.