Celtic s dramatic victory against Kilmarnock will go down as one of the most entertaining moments of their campaign.
That does not mean it ranked among their finest displays. In truth, it was anything but convincing.
was forced to shuffle his pack at the interval after a worrying opening 45 minutes that saw Killie surge into a 2-0 advantage through strikes from and .
The introduction of sparked life into the visitors, his superb effort from distance pulling one back. then launched a long throw that led to grabbing the equaliser.
Araujo completed the turnaround in the 97th minute with his first goal for the club, yet was far from impressed with the defender’s work at the other end of the pitch.
The Mexican full back struggled in the build-up to Hugill’s second goal, as Kilmarnock exploited space down Celtic’s right before the striker applied the finish. O’Neill himself kept the celebrations measured when discussing Araujo’s overall contribution.
Clarke, speaking about the goal, labelled the defending lazy and questioned the collective resilience of the side.
He explained that strong defensive foundations are essential for any team with ambitions of lifting titles or putting together consistent runs of victories. In his view, Celtic looked uneasy whenever Kilmarnock pushed forward, particularly in the first half. Even after restoring parity, there remained a sense of anxiety whenever the ball entered their box.
According to Clarke, that nervous streak in their defensive play is something O’Neill and his staff will recognise and seek to address quickly.
Attention now turns to a meeting with , and O’Neill will have gathered plenty of insight from the troubled first half at Rugby Park.
showed flashes of neat link-up play but was withdrawn at the break after squandering a clear opportunity. also made way, with introduced, though the midfielder is not registered for the upcoming European fixture. That leaves O’Neill facing a key decision in the centre of the park.
Given Tounekti’s impact off the bench, it would be no surprise to see him handed a starting role when Celtic return to action on Thursday.
“ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC!” Steve Clarke EVISCERATES “Lazy” Celtic Star in VICIOUS Post-Match Rant!
