Celtic manager Martin O’Neill is in a spot of bother ahead of the club’s Europa League clash with Besiktas this week after another disappointing outing on Sunday.
The Hoops were beaten 2-0 by Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership, conceding the first goal inside the first three minutes, and they have now lost six of their last ten games.
Performances have not been good enough on the pitch, as evident by such a run of form, and the Northern Irish boss needs to find a way to turn things around in the coming weeks and months.
One of the players who may need to be boldly dropped by the Celtic manager is captain and central midfielder Callum McGregor, who has struggled of late.
How Callum McGregor has struggled this season for Celtic
The veteran midfield star has been a sensational performer for the club throughout his career, racking up 593 appearances in all competitions to date, but his recent performances have not been up to scratch.
In three appearances in the Europa League this term, McGregor has lost 100% of his aerial duels, been dribbled past once per game, and has yet to create a ‘big chance’ for his teammates, despite taking 70.7 touches per match.
The former Scotland international has also been below par among midfielders in several metrics on and off the ball in the Premiership so far this season, as he has struggled at both ends of the pitch.
|
2026/27 Premiership |
Callum McGregor |
Rank vs CMs |
|---|---|---|
|
Passes completed |
708 |
Top 1% |
|
Goals |
0 |
Bottom 1% |
|
Assists |
0 |
Bottom 1% |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
Bottom 1% |
|
Fouls committed |
8 |
Bottom 37% |
|
Dribbled past |
7x |
Bottom 20% |
|
xG conceded while on the pitch |
11.74 |
Bottom 28% |
Despite completing the most passes among midfielders in the Premiership, McGregor has not created a ‘big chance’ or assisted a single goal in 11 league starts, which speaks to the lack of progression coming from his position on the ball.
The left-footed star has also been too easy to get past out of possession, as he has been dribbled past seven times already, and these statistics show that he has been letting the side down in several areas.
How Celtic can finally replace Callum McGregor
As the 33-year-old Celtic captain looks like he is potentially heading towards the end of his Parkhead career, as a regular starter at least, O’Neill has another academy graduate who could take his place.
Sean McArdle is currently playing for the club’s B team and has the potential to make the step-up to the senior side to end McGregor’s career in the number six position.
The 19-year-old talent is a versatile star who can play as a six, as an eight, or as a ten, and he has already had a taste of first-team experience in the past.
Brendan Rodgers provided the teenage midfielder with an opportunity to impress in two Premiership cameos against Hibernian and Aberdeen in May 2025, only a few months before he decided to move on from the club.
The former Liverpool manager’s exit from Parkhead seemingly put an end to McArdle’s progression from the academy to the first-team, as he has not made a competitive senior appearance under O’Neill.
It is a shame that he has not got a look in since those two cameos in the league at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, as the Scottish midfielder showed promise in his limited time on the pitch.
|
2026/27 Premiership |
Sean McArdle |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
2 |
|
Minutes played |
17 |
|
Chances created |
1 |
|
Pass accuracy |
95% |
|
Successful dribbles |
1 |
|
Duel success rate |
67% |
|
Dribbled past |
0x |
McArdle won the majority of his duels, was composed in possession, did not get dribbled past once, and created a chance for his teammates in just 17 minutes of action against Hibs and Aberdeen.
Pundit and former Celtic striker Chris Sutton also praised his cameo against the Dons, as he hailed the midfielder’s “brilliant” play in the build-up to Adam Idah’s goal.
The Scotland youth international is on O’Neill’s radar for the first-team, now, because he was recently an unused substitute for the 2-1 defeat to Celta Vigo in the Europa League.
It is now down to the manager to provide the 19-year-old talent, who has scored two goals for the B team this season, with a chance to play actual minutes in a first-team match in the coming weeks.
McArdle has shown promise in a Celtic jersey already, particularly in those two cameos under Rodgers, and could give the Hoops the energy and creativity that they have been lacking from McGregor this term.
If the Scotland U19 international can make the breakthrough and force his way into O’Neill’s plans, it could be the beginning of the end of McGregor’s Parkhead career.
