Celtic’s 2-1 victory at Dundee exposed the club’s ongoing striking difficulties, with Tomas Cvancara’s ineffectiveness contrasting sharply with Kelechi Iheanacho’s match-winning contribution from the bench.
Martin O’Neill’s side created four clear chances and accumulated 3.80 expected goals, yet required Iheanacho’s late intervention to secure three points. The Nigerian’s winner came after Hyun-jun Yang’s opener had been cancelled out by Simon Murray’s penalty, and highlighted the profligacy that has plagued Celtic’s attack this season.
Despite his decisive impact, Iheanacho should remain a substitute option rather than a starter. Two of his three Premiership goals have come from the bench, with his solitary strike in four starts suggesting greater effectiveness as an impact player. His struggles against Dundee United before the international break, failing to score from two shots and creating no chances, reinforce this tactical approach.
The more pressing concern is Cvancara’s continued underperformance. Selected to lead the line ahead of Iheanacho and Junior Adamu, the Czech international offered nothing during 58 minutes on the pitch. He departed with no goals, no chances created, no assists, and a damning statistical profile: four shots without reward, zero key passes, zero successful dribbles from four attempts, and just one duel won from eight contests.
Since arriving on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach in January, Cvancara has managed one non-penalty goal in eight league appearances, projecting a rate of five such goals across a full season. He has missed four clear chances during this spell, including a one-on-one opportunity against Dundee that struck the post.
Celtic possess an option to make the move permanent, but his displays suggest this would be unwise. With Iheanacho more effective from the bench, O’Neill must consider alternatives for the St Mirren fixture. Daizen Maeda or Adamu appear better equipped to lead the line, while Cvancara’s starting days at Parkhead should conclude.