Celtic goals warning – Title could come down to goal difference warns Sutton

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The Celtic Star

·12 de marzo de 2026

Celtic goals warning – Title could come down to goal difference warns Sutton

Chris Sutton believes it would be an extraordinary feat if Celtic managed to secure the league title without having a decent centre-forward at their disposal…

Chris Sutton – St Mirren v theRangers, 24 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

The Hoops’ problems in attack stretch back to last season and intensified during the disastrous summer transfer window. Adam Idah was sold late in the window and the club failed to bring in a direct replacement.

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Kelechi Iheanacho arrived on a permanent deal after the deadline, but recurring injury problems and other mysterious issues appear to have prevented him from establishing himself in the team.

Celtic tried to reinforce the position during the January window by bringing in Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu on loan. However, both forwards have struggled for regular minutes and have yet to make the decisive impact the club had hoped for.

In the recent Scottish Cup clash with the Rangers, Daizen Maeda was deployed as a central striker, though he has not looked like the same player who impressed last season.

Sutton criticised the situation, saying manager Martin O’Neill has effectively been forced to “use a tombola” when selecting a striker. He added that if the interim boss were to guide Celtic to the title despite the ongoing issues up front, it would rank as a truly remarkable accomplishment.

Speaking via Daily Record Podcast, Sutton said: “Celtic needed players in January to improve the team, but has any of them really done that, aside from Araujo? O’Neill is having to use the tombola with his selections and hoping he gets a performance out of somebody.

“The fact he’s had to chop and change so many times and now he’s gone back to Maeda through the middle says it all. But Maeda in the final third this year has a real lack of confidence. The miss at Aberdeen, where he snatched as his chance, summed it up.

“Last season was a golden period but he’s suffered this season. Martin doesn’t know who his main striker is but it might be horses for courses each week. But if Celtic end up winning this title without a striker, it would be absolutely remarkable.”

Sutton stopped short of singling out the forwards themselves, suggesting the circumstances have made life extremely difficult for anyone leading the line and admitting he would not have relished playing as a striker in the current setup.

The former Celtic striker added: “I do feel for the strikers. I wouldn’t like to play up front for this team. Celtic strikers have been isolated this season.

8th March 2026;; Scottish Cup, Rangers versus Celtic; Nasser Djiga of Rangers and Sebastian Tounekti of Celtic challenge for the ball . Photo Vagelis Georgariou

“The plan is to get the ball wide to the likes of Sebastian Tounekti and Yang and hope they can produce a bit of magic. Tounekti is better as an impact sub but both of them are dribblers and you don’t always know what to expect.

Yang at Ibrox. Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

“I always liked to play with a partner but if you can’t then you want wide players coming inside, passing and and then following in, or you get runners from midfielder who get close enough for little flicks or touches around corners.

“I don’t see that from this Celtic team. There is nothing really clever about the forward play, it’s all very predictable. When Ange Postecoglou was in – and then Brendan Rodgers – you had the combinations and the runs down the channels.

“It’s not happening and that’s down to a lack of confidence and belief in the team. The strikers carry the can, and absolutely they can do more, but it his hard for them.”

“If players are not on the same wavelength, then it’s a massive problem. It’s something Celtic are going to have to solve if they are going to win the league. Hearts are in a strong position and will take a lot of stopping, but the title could come down to goal difference.”

Conor Spence