Celtic's Narrow Win in Perth Raises Questions for O’Neill

Martin O’Neill left Perth with three points and a furrowed brow.

Celtic’s 100% start in the Scottish Premiership remains intact – six wins from six – but this was no swaggering champion’s performance. A heavily rotated side edged past St Johnstone thanks to Mika Baur’s first goal for the club, then spent the rest of the night convincing nobody, least of all their manager.

A night of answers that raised more questions

O’Neill rang the changes at McDiarmid Park. Sam Johnstone, on loan from Wolves, came in for his debut in goal. Oliver Sorensen was handed a first Celtic start in midfield. Dane Murray earned a rare outing at centre-back. Sebastian Tounekti and Kasper Hogh were recalled to the front line.

If this was supposed to be the night O’Neill learned more about his reshaped squad as he “juggles” players and positions, the lesson was muddled at best.

“I’m not sure what to make of it, really,” he admitted to BBC Sport Scotland, later telling Sky Sports that Celtic are “still well short of it”. The performance backed him up. Celtic got the job done. They did not convince.

Baur’s strike early in the second half should have settled them. Instead, it simply underlined how far they still have to go before a season-defining week that includes Ferencvaros in the Europa League and back-to-back meetings with Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup and league.

Rotation, risk and one big call that backfired

O’Neill insisted beforehand that the league match in Perth came first in his priorities. That made his five changes feel even more daring. One in particular jarred.

Camilo Duran, the man who has lit up Celtic’s early season, started on the bench.

The pre-match debate had centred on how to fit both Duran and Hogh into the same team – as a front two, or with the Colombian shunted wide again. Almost nobody considered the possibility of Duran being left out altogether.

By full-time, it felt like an experiment unlikely to be repeated.

“Our main man only came on in the last 10 or 15 minutes, so it gives you food for thought,” O’Neill said after Celtic failed to build on Baur’s goal despite turning the screw late on.

Duran’s impact has been relentless. O’Neill acknowledged he looked tired at the weekend, hardly a surprise given the volume of work he gets through both on and off the ball. Only Daizen Maeda, now gone, has pressed more ferociously in recent times.

“I wanted to try and see if we could do without him,” O’Neill admitted. “And the answer is probably not.”

Celtic have found another diamond. They just can’t afford to lean on him the way they once leaned on Maeda.

Hogh starved, Tounekti safe, Sorensen silent

If Duran is all sparks and chaos, Hogh is the opposite: a penalty-box poacher who lives off service. On this evidence, he might be waiting a while.

With the quality from the flanks badly diluted, Hogh endured a grim evening. Before half-time he touched the ball just twice in the box. Celtic’s record signing needs better supply, but O’Neill also hinted he expects more from the Dane.

“You just can’t put the ball on a plate for people,” he told Sky Sports. “They have to make room for themselves in the penalty box to try and score a goal.”

Too often, Hogh peeled off defenders, found space, then watched the ball travel somewhere else. His frustration grew as Tounekti repeatedly turned inside or played safe.

Yang Hyun-jun’s absence loomed large. The South Korean has started the season in glittering form, and the drop from his invention and belief to Tounekti’s caution was stark.

At half-time, former Scotland forward James McFadden described Tounekti’s display and decision-making as “safe” on Sky Sports. He highlighted the winger’s starting positions, his habit of drifting into the defender’s eyeline, and his reluctance to drive down the outside despite his pace and sharp feet. The pattern barely changed after the interval.

In midfield, Sorensen offered little to change O’Neill’s pre-match confession that he had “no idea” what the player could do. The game largely went on around him. When Benjamin Nygren replaced him with just over 20 minutes left, Celtic finally carried more threat.

St Johnstone’s changes, Celtic’s narrow escape

This wasn’t a case of Celtic’s rotation against a settled home side. St Johnstone made four changes of their own, including a first start for Joe Cotterill and a debut for on-loan Hibs midfielder Josh Campbell.

Cotterill came closest for the hosts, drawing a superb save from Johnstone, who at least left a strong first impression behind a defence still finding its bearings.

Both managers had shuffled their packs. Only one had the luxury of a deeper bench.

In the end, O’Neill’s gamble just about paid off. Duran and Nygren, both left out from the start, got a partial rest before the Rangers double-header. Celtic kept their perfect league record. They escaped Perth with the win and their title defence intact.

But the manner of it lingered.

“I know the results have been fine, really fine,” O’Neill said. “But when we get players up to speed, that’ll be great. I think that’ll take a few weeks for players. In the meantime, the most important thing is to try and keep your head above water.”

Six wins from six suggests Celtic are doing more than that. The performance in Perth told a different story. With Ferencvaros and Rangers looming, O’Neill must decide quickly who he can really trust when the water starts to rise.