Martin O'Neill makes case for 'obvious' need for Celtic strength in depth as deja vu strikes with injury scare
Hoops boss spoke after the victory over Falkirk
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill claims there is an ‘obvious’ need for more strength in depth in the Celtic squad as left back Kieran Tierney suffers another injury scare.
The defender was substituted off on the 70th minute mark for what O’Neill thought was cramp, however the manager has now confirmed that wasn’t the case. The Hoops were already without injured striker Kasper Hogh for the Falkirk clash, as well as midfielder Callum McGregor - who is suffering a stomach bug. As more potential casualties arise, the need for further squad reinforcements before next week’s deadline day is only heightened.
The match itself was fairly straightforward. A first half double for striker Camilo Duran - playing through the middle in Hogh’s absence - gave the hosts a healthy two-goal advantage. This was needed in the end, as the Bairns got one back through an own goal from defender Colby Donovan. As Celtic get back to winning ways after their Champions League horror show against LASK Linz in midweek, they retain their 100% domestic record this season.
O’Neill highlights ‘obvious’ need for more additions
A banner reading ‘World class embarrassment’ from ultras group the Green Brigade showed what they thought of the result in midweek. Around that, held up were the names of some of the teams Celtic have failed to beat in European crunch matches in recent years. On another day where the Hoops weren’t at their best, O’Neill claimed they need more bodies in the door after the narrow Falkirk victory.
He said: "We created a lot of really good chances, but at 2-0 it's still on a knife edge. They get the goal and then the las5 15 minutes become a worrying time when perhaps it shouldn't have been. I'm still really hopeful we can do something [in the transfer market]. If we want to defend our title and get something in the Europa League we need a bit more strength in depth. I think that's pretty obvious."
Tierney substitutions was not due to cramp
The left back possesses an unfortunate injury record and the Hoops currently have very little cover in this area. In turn, Celtic are pursuing a loan deal for Chelsea defender Landon Emenalo, but in the meantime centre back Liam Scales has been covering Tierney. After he came off for defender Auston Trusty in the second half, O’Neill confirmed he didn’t come off due to cramp. He added: "Kieran came off. I thought it was cramp he’d had, but it wasn't. It looks quite similar to Kasper (Hogh) in that sense.”
On a brighter note for Hoops fans, new signings Duran and Haissem Hassan looked electric in attack and look as if they could be a force to be reckoned with against packed Scottish defences with their pace. O’Neill was keen to give both players their flowers. He continued: "[Camilo Duran] played here [at Celtic Park] against LASK on the right-hand side and then it was seamless him moving to centre-forward. He was fantastic and he has been since he set foot in the football club. Hassan will cause problems in the final third. I think he will be terrific for us. I was delighted with his performance.”
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