If it wasn’t for Nygren’s goals – Standards have fallen through the floor at Celtic

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The Celtic Star

·23 Maret 2026

If it wasn’t for Nygren’s goals – Standards have fallen through the floor at Celtic

As we watched this current Celtic team put in yet another pathetic display to go alongside the many others we have had the misfortune of witnessing this season, there is an ever growing list of problems that need discussed in terms of how badly things have gone wrong during this campaign, both on the pitch and off it…

Will Ferry of Dundee United scores his team’s first goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Dundee United and Celtic at Tannadice Park on March 22, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)

Watching that yesterday highlighted a multitude of problems in this current squad, one thing that is blatantly evident to everyone however is the severe lack of goals in this team. It’s astounding how we have got to the point where we literally don’t have any goalscoring forwards in our squad.

Video OneFootball

Daizen Maeda at Tannadice. Dundee Utd v Celtic. Sunday 22 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

During my lifetime of being a Celtic fan I can’t remember a team so toothless up front. The numbers from our strikers are truly pathetic. I’ll start with the best of the lot and that’s Daizen Maeda, who many will correctly argue isn’t even a striker. The Japanese attacker has switched between striker, left winger and right winger this season. He has played in most games and overall has seven goals to his name.

Ross Graham of Dundee United is challenged by Kelechi Iheanacho of Celtic during the Scottish Premiership match between Dundee United and Celtic at Tannadice Park on March 22, 2026. (Photo by Zak Mauger/Getty Images)

We then have Kelechi Iheanacho, who has never looked fully fit this season, but has played his fair share of games. He has three goals to his name, two of which were penalties. He hasn’t scored from open play in any of our domestic competitions.

Tomas Cvancara celebrates scoring Celtic’s opening goal. 01.02.2026 Celtic v Falkirk, Scottish Premiership Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

We then have a pair of strikers signed on loan for decent money in January. We hoped they might change our fortunes in front of goal. Well the opposite has happened. They look worse than what we had already. Tomas Cvancara has two goals overall, with one being a penalty. Junior Adamu has one goal to his name.

7th February 2026 Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland: Scottish Cup Football, Celtic versus Dundee Junior Adamu of Celtic scores an equaliser to level the score at 1-1 in the 97th minute. Photo David Young IMAGO

Before leaving for Bolton on loan, Johnny Kenny actually had scored six goals. So compared to the other three out and out strikers currently in our squad, Kenny has the same amount of goals as those three combined, none of which were penalties. Let that sink in. We somehow have managed to replace the bad with even worse.

Johnny Kenny scores. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

I said to a friend recently that if you combined the best attributes of Iheanacho, Cvancara and Adamu you still wouldn’t have a player on your hands worthy of being called a Celtic striker.

It actually pains me to think that we have ended up with these three as our current strikeforce. It pretty much sums up the magnitude of how standards at the club we love have fallen during this past year.

Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates scoring the third goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic C and St. Johnstone at Celtic Park on December 29, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic sold proven goalscorers

We sold proven goalscorers such as Kyogo and Idah and replaced them with players who would struggle to get a game with any other side in the Scottish Premiership. Some Celtic fans couldn’t wait to get shot of the likes of Adam Idah and Oh Hyeon-Gyu. I would give my right arm to have the pair of them available for selection for the remainder of this season.

Adam Idah celebrates scoring at Ibrox to level the score at 1-1. theRangers v Celtic, 4 May 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

If it wasn’t for Benjamin Nygren’s goals this season I dread to think where we would be. We rely on his goals so much that even when he is atrocious during games the manager keeps him on, knowing he’s one of the only players in the side who actually knows how to put the ball in the net. That’s a damning indictment on the rest of our players.

Benjamin Nygren at Tannadice. Dundee Utd v Celtic. Sunday 22 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

After yesterday’s defeat it looks like we may need to potentially win every game if we are to retain the league title.

With our current strikeforce it’s impossible to see where the goals needed to blow away the opposition will come from, with only Benjamin Nygren a regular scorer this season.

Conall McGinty

Iain Jamieson and Martin O’Neill at Tannadice. Dundee Utd v Celtic. Sunday 22 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Post your own thoughts in the comments section below…

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If it wasn’t for Nygren’s goals – Standards have fallen through the floor at Celtic | OneFootball

If it wasn’t for Nygren’s goals – Standards have fallen through the floor at Celtic

Video OneFootball

I said to a friend recently that if you combined the best attributes of Iheanacho, Cvancara and Adamu you still wouldn’t have a player on your hands worthy of being called a Celtic striker.

Celtic sold proven goalscorers

Post your own thoughts in the comments section below…