It is fair to say that Celtic did not want to go into the three-week international break off the back of three successive defeats in all competitions under Martin O’Neill.
The Hoops have the best part of a month to wait until their next match after losing two Old Firm clashes and a Europa League match in the last ten days.
Too many of Celtic’s players have failed to step up to the mark in recent weeks and need to be taken out of the team on the other side of the international break.
One of those players has been attacking midfielder Luke McCowan, who was selected to start in the number ten position against Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
Why Luke McCowan must be dropped
O’Neill brought the former Dundee star into the starting line-up to play as one of the two attacking midfielders behind Camilo Duran in a 3-4-2-1 system, but it was a tactical change that did not work.
The Scottish giants found themselves 1-0 down at half-time, having decided to go with a five-at-the-back formation, and McCowan was the player who was sacrificed at half-time to change the system, as he was replaced by striker Kasper Hogh.
His struggles in the first half of the game at Parkhead were unsurprising, though, because his last start in the Premiership before that also came against Rangers and saw him substituted at half-time, back in May.
|
Luke McCowan |
Vs Rangers (10/05/26) |
Vs Rangers (20/09/26) |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
45 |
45 |
|
Shots |
0 |
0 |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
0 |
|
Pass accuracy |
80% |
46% |
|
Dribbles completed |
1 |
0 |
|
Duel success rate |
20% |
17% |
|
Ground duels won |
1/8 |
1/3 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1/2 |
0/3 |
Despite his struggles in that game in May and his lack of minutes this season, O’Neill opted to trust the experienced Scottish midfielder with a starting berth on Sunday, and his faith was not rewarded.
The Northern Irish manager should, therefore, take McCowan out of the starting line-up for the club’s trip to Motherwell in the Premiership after the break, due to his dismal display on Sunday.
Celtic have the perfect replacement for Luke McCowan
Thankfully, for O’Neill, there are plenty of players in the first-team squad at Parkhead who are capable of stepping in and playing as an attacking midfielder.
A player who could be the perfect replacement for McCowan, though, has not played a single minute for the club in any competition so far this season.
Towards the end of the summer transfer window, Celtic swooped to sign central midfielder Joel van ven Berg from Dutch giants PSV for a fee in the region of £3.4m.
The 19-year-old talent was an unused substitute for the wins over St. Johnstone and St Mirren in the Premiership, but was not included in the matchday squads for the defeats to Rangers or the loss to Ferencvaros.
He was spotted in a protective boot at Parkhead on Sunday, suggesting that he is currently nursing an injury, and it remains to be seen what the situation is with his fitness.
The three-week break for international matches provides injured players with a chance to recover from their issues to be back in contention to play against Motherwell, and van den Berg may be one of those who could benefit from the break.
Despite being signed for £3.4m, the Netherlands U19 international has not had the opportunity to showcase his quality on the pitch for Celtic yet, after being an unused substitute for the wins against St. Johnstone and St Mirren.
Van den Berg’s form for PSV’s reserve side in the second tier of Dutch football, though, suggests that he has the potential to be an exciting player for the club if given the chance to impress.
|
Van den Berg (Eerste Divisie) |
25/26 |
26/27 |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
26 |
3 |
|
xG |
5.27 |
1.20 |
|
Goals |
7 |
2 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.5 |
2.3 |
|
Big chances created |
4 |
1 |
|
Assists |
3 |
0 |
The attacking midfielder racked up nine goals and three assists in his last 29 league appearances in the second division, which shows that he can make an impact at the top end of the pitch on a fairly regular basis.
McCowan, meanwhile, has scored two goals and provided one assist in 34 appearances in the Premiership for Celtic since the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Scottish flop has not offered consistent quality in the final third over the past 13 months or so, and van den Berg is a young talent who has the potential to offer significantly more to the team as an attacking threat.
Therefore, O’Neill must finally unleash the summer signing from the start, provided that he is not injured, as the perfect replacement for McCowan in the number ten role next time out.
