Chris Sutton Issues Harsh Title Warning to Celtic Amid Poor Performances
Former striker Chris Sutton has sounded the alarm for Celtic by claiming that rival teams no longer fear the reigning champions. Despite recent victories over Dundee and St Mirren, Sutton insists their current level of play is simply not good enough to secure the Scottish Premiership title.
While interim manager Martin O’Neill recently suggested that grinding out results is the only thing that matters at this stage of the season, Sutton strongly disagrees. Speaking on Sky Sports, he expressed deep concern over a visible lack of harmony on the pitch. Sutton argued that if O’Neill is correct about Celtic needing to win their final five games, their current form will not get them over the line.
Sutton pointed out a glaring issue regarding Celtic’s standing among their rivals. He noted that they have failed to defeat Hearts or Rangers all season. As a result, he believes that neither of those clubs, nor anyone else in the league, finds Celtic intimidating anymore.
The pundit also highlighted a severe disconnect within the club. While he acknowledged the return of the Green Brigade to boost the stadium atmosphere, he feels the players themselves lack the unity currently seen at Rangers and Hearts. To back up his concerns about their decline on the pitch, Sutton brought up a staggering drop in attacking output. He pointed out the remarkable contrast between the 112 goals Celtic scored last season and the mere 59 they have managed this campaign.
Sutton’s comments followed a narrow home win at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain secured the crucial three points for Celtic against St Mirren. After having an initial effort disallowed for offside, the former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder persevered to score the winning goal.
Even with that vital victory, Celtic failed to reclaim the top spot in the league table. Title rivals Hearts kept their momentum going on the exact same day with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Motherwell at Tynecastle.